The Truth: Who We Are
by cheekyrox
Summary: AU: Because the most difficult thing in this world to understand is ourselves.
1. Prologue

**_A/N: _Before anyone reads this, I would simply like to explain that this is 'Who We Are' in it's originally intended form. Back when I wrote the first version the initial plot was a little bit complex for me, so I went for something simpler. Now that I have a little bit more practice, I figured I might as well try improving some of my older stories.**

**A/n 2: So, I've fixed most of the typos I can find now, so if anyone else sees any, I'd be most grateful to have them pointed out. I also realized that I forgot to mention the fact in my first a/n that this was an AU fic. Oh, well, better late than never, I suppose. As an added note, in response to a review, I'd just like to mention the fact Caggallie doesn't make an appearance until Chapter 8, and that this prologue may be a little bit confusing, but it's meant to be that way to begin with. :)**

**Prologue: By Crimson Rain**

The facility smelt of blood.

Not that blood was anything new to him, he had come here often enough, or not left it often enough, that he was almost desensitized to the stench, but for some reason it was still the first thought that ever occurred to mind. Blood was life, in a way, the pumping fluid within every living thing, cold blooded or not, and yet it was so often more readily associated with death. He was not sure if this place smelt of death, it might have, thanks to it's past, which would be ironic, given what it was _now_, but he was aware of that just barely readable tension that seemed to suffocate every breath taken within the cold, steel boundaries of it's walls, so that to even speak in a whisper seemed like the greatest violation in life.

And perhaps it would be, for what had happened here then, what happened here now, and the work that was created _because_ of what went on here was both breathtaking and frightening, spellbinding and yet fear inspiring, amazing and yet terrifying, and if even one of the people who were employed here uttered so much as a whisper, whilst _outside_ it's boundaries, _of_ it, well, one could be sure they never lasted for long.

Not that he had anything to do with the death side of things within this facility, not directly, in any case. No, it was his job to bring life, to bring order to a world that had lost it a long time ago. To be the hands that served the unseen master, and brought peace to the rough draft of creation, that still had yet to reach perfection. It had been the goal of many, and many had failed, but he was confident, because not only did he have the means, but he had already taken the first step. It did not matter, really, that that step had come at a heavy cost, that it could have been termed by the more pessimistic as a failure, for he knew it for what it was.

How could one expect perfect success the first time? He did not, so a half result was perfectly fine. It was money well spent, in his opinion, money that was buying a future for the world, and yet money which had to come from somewhere. That was the small stepping stone that prevented perfection, the small obstacle yet to be overcome, and it was a small obstacle, easily overcome, for his sponsors had no qualms about the means by which they gained their money.

It irked him slightly, to become the death bringer, rather than the life giver, but it was a role he would gladly shoulder, a sacrifice for the greater good. The world would not understand, they would most likely condemn, but he knew the truth they did not. What did a little blood shed now mean in the long run, when, if it were not stopped, humanity would unwittingly destroy itself? He alone had possessed that foresight, and with it, he was able to rest easy.

His thoughts were broken as the door to the office in which he had settled himself slid open, and the figure stepped inside, face impenetrable behind the emotionless mask drawn across the features he already knew off by heart. It was impossible to tell what this one thought by looking at his face, hidden, shrouded, covered, but he did not need to know if he was loyal, if he would not betray them. _He_ held something the other needed, and because of that, there was no risk of the servant ever forgetting his place.

"You are late." he did not bother to throw more than a glance at the newcomer before turning back to his screen, though there was nothing to study there that he had not already seen.

"I was held up," came the cool response, the flat voice as effective as the mask itself, "It is not so easy to get away, now that I hold the position of high rank you requested I earn. Now, what do you want? I am sure you did not send for me simply to chide me like a schoolchild."

"Indeed not," he had pressed a button, it seemed, but no matter. There was no offense he could give that would prevent his servant from coming back, not when one considered the consequences, "Far from it, in fact. You have done well, and exactly as you were instructed," he could not hide the smile of satisfaction, but if there was a reaction, it did not show, "It would seem, however, that even after having gained this facility, and the considerable 'salary' you have earned us, it is not yet enough to further the project. We need something more substantial, something that benefits the sponsors directly."

"You are referring to the contingency plan?"

"It was never really a contingency plan," sighing he rose, moving from the desk over to the tinted window, which allowed him to watch the sparse activity in the yard. Testing had ground to a stand still now, and until more funds were brought in, there was no reason to seize their next test subject, so for now it was simply a matter of rehashing old experiments, and checking already recorded data. Most disappointing, really, but a reality he had little trouble dealing with. All problems could be overcome with patience, and that he had in spades. "We always knew it might come to this. But the seeds...Are they ripe?"

"As ripe as they will ever be. It may take a while, though, arranging it to look natural."

"All good things do," he remarked with another smile, "A little time will hurt no one. Are we talking years, or months?"

"Most likely the former," the information was rattled off crisply, like a good soldier, not a general. It was interesting he could switch so easily between roles, but not something to dwell on for the moment, "It would be too conspicuous otherwise, especially after tensions were so heightened by the taking of this facility. However, it will not be overly hard to make them blame one another, after all, they are already at each other's throats, the difficulty will be in prompting the peaceful delegate into allowing it to fully burst into flame."

"That I had already foreseen," he turned away from the window, and this time stared directly at the other occupant of the room, "Very well, then. Begin the operation, start in the PLANTs, but take the Earth next. Leave no nation untouched, I want them all grieving, and, no matter how long it takes, I want the flames fanned. Even if it takes months, years, a decade, we have time. But, you know already what to do, and the sooner it begins, the sooner our own activities can resume."

There it was, the small flinch he had become so good at noticing, and deciding for a moment to test how far he could go he pressed further, "How is your brother?"

"I would not know," the reply was given with cold contempt, even disdain, and he disguised a frown, concerned that this was not a reaction he had anticipated, "I was not aware I was supposed to be watching him."

"You are not," the smile returned quickly enough, from both practice and amusement. The second half of that sentence, at the very least, had been spoken harshly, "The boy is of no use to me until he has matured, that is why there is no need to rush things. We have ten years, or more, so take care. There is no need to toss away our advantage simply because we were reckless. You may go now."

He waited, knowing the dismissal was premature, and knowing also that his servant would have to overcome pride to ask for what was necessary. Necessary to _live_.

"You enjoy this, don't you?"

It was spoken with icy anger, and he barely repressed laughter as he walked across to the desk, removing the small parcel from within, and tossing it carelessly across the room, forcing the 'composed' man to leap wildly to prevent it from hitting the floor.

"That should last you for fifteen years, if you are careful," he sat back down, turning to his computer screen, and ignoring the idea of trying to look at the other at all. It was risky, making him independent for that long a period of time, but, on the other hand, he did not want him to lead others to this hideout, either. "But, do not forget, if your task is not completed, there will be no more waiting for you when you return."

"I shall not forget," was the calm response, but bitterness prompted more, "As if you would ever let me."

He smirked, though the other clearly did not see it as he left, the door swishing closed behind him. For a moment he simply stared at the words on the screen before him, not really registering any of it, before giving an abrupt laugh as the euphoria finally sunk in. It was finally beginning, finally, after so many months, years of waiting.

Life would go on, humanity would be born again, it's birth ushered in by crimson rain, and yet, far away from all this, in a place that did not carry the rank feel of death, a young boy's heart was about to be shattered.


	2. History

**Part 1-War**

_**History of Conflict**_

**12 C.E: On the feast day of Christmas a group of terrorist who claimed affiliation to the Earth Alliance Forces launched a nuclear assault on the Seventh Colony, the main genetic research colony of the PLANTs, and one of it's most densely populated space stations, with the clear intention of wiping all life from it's surface. The attack was successful, and over 50,000 people were slaughtered in the assault, whilst the terrorist themselves vanished from all knowledge, leaving no trace of those responsible, and justice unsatisfied. Following this tragedy, despite the best efforts of the PLANT Supreme Chairman, Siegel Clyne, and Lenore Zala, delegate of the PLANT Peace Committee, the connections between Naturals and Coordinators were cut, and what had been as uneasy arrangement of mutual benefit became a race for both sides to gain the greatest military power. Nevertheless, despite the failure to reestablish open communication between the Earth and the PLANTs, an all out conflict was prevented, and though the relations between sides changed dramatically for the worst, war was averted.**

**13 C.E: The relationship between the PLANTs and the Earth was once more thrown into jeopardy following the assassination of world leaders in nearly every nation, inclusive of Orb, and the PLANTs themselves. With evidence on both sides to suggest the opposition was responsible, Chairman Clyne, survivor of one such attempt, mediated in hostile negotiations between the PLANTs and the Earth, once more succeeding in preventing outright war, despite a cry of disapproval from the entire PLANTs. Following both the assassinations and the meetings, it was noted that many world leaders were placed under twenty four hour watch, even after investigations into the incidents ceased due to lack of evidence.**

**21 C.E: In a shock vote election Chairman Clyne, who survived almost seven terms in office and was well respected as a peace seeking diplomat, was replaced by his counterpart on the Defense Committee, Patrick Zala. Despite being removed from office, Clyne still retains his position within the Peace Committee, and is believed to have become the long due replacement of Lenore Zala in the role of Chief Negotiator.**

**22 C.E: Following a shocking, secret attack on the PLANTs by the Earth Forces Chairman Zala has finally declared open war, whilst at the same time Clyne reassures the PLANTs their war is to be one of self defense only, in the hopes a peaceful stance will end the conflict quickly.**

**23 C.E: After twelve months of fighting a purely defensive battle, Chairman Zala launched a full scale assault on the Earth, seizing territory in nearly every nation, and disabling most supply lines used by the Earth Alliance. Following this shocking invasion, a substantial set back for the Earth Forces, it is realized only one nation still remains aloof and untouched by war.**

**The neutral nation of Orb.**


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Neutral or Null?**

The PLANT Supreme Council chamber was abuzz, despite the fact it was still the early hours of the morning, not even true daylight outside, a fact that seemed to go unnoticed by the many people crowding through the main entrance hall. They were all headed in various directions, up and down elevators, or those who preferred simply taking the stairs, but it was clear to any observer, even those who had not been summoned here by express request, that something on the larger end of the scale was about to take place, and that everyone within the building, from the Defense to the Peace Committee, were operating at their full capacity. The latter was not really surprising, the Peace Committee was always busy at this time that marked the death of one of the PLANT's most loved peace ministers, a memorial that would draw many people to their halls before the day was done, but for the Defense Committee to also be operating on a day when most of their activities were sidelined in respect, well, it was something new.

Even after a year of warfare, Athrun Zala, the eighteen year old member of the small group of pilots given the honor of wearing the deep crimson colors of the elite, could not find it within himself to recognize the spattering of military uniforms within the ranks of civilian clothed individuals as normal, no more than he could reconcile the blood red uniform with his own appearance whenever he caught sight of his reflection. It did not seem to matter if what he saw before him now had become day to day routine, he could not accept it as such, maybe because doing so would be to accept that this war still had a long time left before it had run it's course. It was a fact he knew many people had come to believe, something others just as vehemently denied, and a fact that he, as a member of the ZAFT forces, should know the truth of. But, quite honestly, he preferred not to know. Did it really matter if the war continued for a few months or a few years? People would still die, were dying now, and speculating on the future would not change that. On the other hand, it would not be until the crisp uniforms were seen as normal by everyone, from child to adult, that he would abandon hope of the fight ending in the foreseeable future, because it would only be then that the war became something people were familiar with, and not the fresh horror it was now.

Stepping away from the doorframe, in which he had taken a moment to observe, he joined the throng, threading his way through the representatives of the quite often opposed factions he soon departed from the main core of activity, entering the short, isolated corridor that led to the equally plain door, the only thing that signified the importance of the office beyond the neatly inscribed nameplate hanging upon the metal surface. He took a short moment to compose himself, not used to entering through the forbidding obstruction alone, and certainly not in uniform, before passing his hand over the panel and stepping through the moment it slid back into the recess of the wall. The guards only glanced at him in passing as he walked in between them, they knew him well enough to ask no questions, and he passed from the outer door through the second into the inner chamber in silence, saluting the moment he had stepped through into the actual office.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

It did not matter that the nameplate on the table shared the surname he himself had been born with, or that the man behind the desk was blood and kin, Patrick Zala was a man strict with all formalities, and the slightest misstep, particularly in company, would earn instant disapproval, even for his only child. The Chairman of Defense was not alone now, either, but entertaining two people, Siegel Clyne, his equivalent in the Peace Committee, and a man Athrun had scarcely seen since the beginning of the war, though he had been knee deep in it's planning, Commander Rau Le Creuset.

There was no verbal response to his address, just a slight wave of a hand that sent him to the corner he might as well have called his own, for the many times he had stood there, the Chairman turning back to Siegel the moment the gesture was done.

"Please continue, Councilor Clyne, I believe we were discussing your schedule for the visit to Earth?"

"Oh, yes, of course," the blond haired man turned what had been a slightly curious gaze away from Athrun and back to the man before him, continuing smoothly, "We will be leaving within a matter of days, tonight, tomorrow, or the day after that, depending how quickly things can be wrapped up here. I do not intend to delay any more than I have to, since we both know it is imperative that now they have finally consented to peace talks and to consider the treaty on offer someone is there to represent the PLANTs. How long the talks will take I am not sure, it could be a week, or it could be month, it depends on how willing they are to conform to our demands, or us to theirs."

"Of course," the wave of the Chairman's hand was almost dismissive, as if he could not care less, and Athrun frowned. The opening of peace talks, even if it was only with a couple of the nations that made up the Earth Alliance, their enemy, was a breakthrough for both sides, and not something he would have expected any of the councilors to be taking lightly, "I shall leave the particulars to you. What of Miss Clyne, however? I understand she is going as well."

The mention of Siegel's daughter, Lacus Clyne, surprised Athrun even more. As a junior member of the Peace Committee, and a not so shoddy peace minister herself, Lacus' work in promoting peace between the Earth and the PLANTs, as well as Coordinators and Naturals everywhere was quite significant in itself, not to mention the fact she quite often used her talent as a singer as a means of getting her message to the world, but it was something his father had never showed the slightest interest in, let alone asked about. The furthest Patrick Zala's interest in the young lady went was only so far as her role as Athrun's fiancee, and even that was more of a convenient arrangement than an actual interest. If Siegel was surprised, however, it did not show, and he answered swiftly.

"She will come with me to the conference and remain in attendance for a day, to help me get a feel of the people present," he explained simply, "After that, however, she has arranged to perform in concert in Orb, traveling the major metropolises and finishing in Heliopolis at the end of the month. If all goes well that should coincide perfectly with my own plans, and we will return to the PLANTs afterwards."

"Very good," Patrick nodded, exchanging what might have been a meaningful glance with the Commander, before rising, a sure sign someone was about to be dismissed, "I wish you a safe and successful journey, Siegel, you and Lacus both."

It was a strange loosening in formality to address his friend by name, even if they had been friends for a considerable amount of years, but once again Siegel seemed to take it in his stride, and merely accepted the Chairman's outstretched hand, before speaking his excuses and making a clean exit. For several moments after his departure there was an absolute silence, even after the Chairman was reseated, and it was not until Rau spoke, in his usual smooth, emotionless tone that that silence was broken.

"His plans will not interfere with our own operation," he seemed to be reassuring his over commander, though whether he was successful or not was impossible to tell, when Patrick Zala's face was granite, "The girl should be long gone by the time the assault is launched."

_Assault_ ? Athrun blinked, any other reaction of his surprise carefully concealed through practice. Was _that_ why he had been called here? Because ZAFT was plotting a move against the Earth Alliance? It seemed ludicrous to attack now, after talks had finally been opened, and yet could so easily be jeopardized.

"I am aware of that," was the response to the encouragement, before Patrick finally deigned to acknowledge the fact Athrun was _not_ part of the room, "Come here, Athrun, we have things to discuss. Commander, if you would?"

The commander moved over to dim the lights even as Athrun moved to stand before the desk, and the moment he had done so the Chairman flicked a switch on his console, the desk immediately taking on the role of a map of the Earth, though right now the magnification was only large enough to spot separate countries, and little of the terrain within them. Nevertheless, the Chairman wasted no time in laying his finger on one of the pieces of land providing a break from the blue of the water, lifting his gaze slowly.

"Are you aware of the identity of this nation?"

"The peninsula of Heliopolis, sir," he masked his confusion for the moment, sure an explanation would come with time, "It is a member of the nation of Orb, neutral territory, and is part of neither side of the war."

"A known fact," the Chairman agreed, giving what might have been a nod of satisfaction at the near perfect textbook quote, though he waited until the lights had come back on before proceeding, "Unfortunately, that known fact is a falsity."

"Sir?"

"Take a look at these pictures," the swift flick of another switch changed the view on the desk to a dozen or so still images of a city, or in some cases a wharf was all that was visible, but in every single one of them the same thing was in evidence, "These were taken," the Chairman continued, "About three weeks ago by one of our Special Forces operatives when they stopped in Heliopolis to resupply. They knew it was neutral territory, and needless to say were more than a little surprised to see Earth Alliance carriers, and even some small class war ships, docking at the harbor. Upon investigation it was discovered the war ships were not a regularity, but that the carriers had been coming in and out of the harbor for weeks, months even. Ever since their initial supply line was cut, the Earth Forces have been using Heliopolis as a hidden route to compensate for ZAFTs success elsewhere, the one reason we have not been able to press our advantage against them. Needless to say, it is imperative this supply line is also stopped, and for that reason, ZAFT is mounting a covert operation to seize the city of Heliopolis and it's surrounding country."

"I understand your reasoning, sir," Athrun began slowly, not quite taking his gaze off the pictures themselves, evidence enough to convict Heliopolis of treachery to it's treaty agreements, but still... "But, Heliopolis is still protected by the Treaty with Orb, for all we know the people could be oblivious to the supply route, and to service a ship from either side as it passes through their waters is not expressly forbidden, just discouraged. If we attack them because they are siding with the Earth Alliance, when in actual fact they are simply being taken advantage of, it could have serious repercussions for our relationship with Orb as a whole."

"You make a good point," Rau interjected smoothly, "However, you must also see that this move by the Earth Alliance cannot go unpunished. If this transportation of supplies around our blockades continues, they may yet regain much of the territory that has been seized through our hard work."

"I understand that," Athrun persisted, realizing, as he was sure his father must, just what they could be risking by attacking the neutral nation. What if, due to ZAFTs actions, Orb sided with the Earth Alliance? The nation was not incapable when it came to military matters, and if it _were_ to ally itself to the Alliance many new supply routes would be opened in spite of the closing of Heliopolis. They might lose more than they stood to gain, especially if Heliopolis was taken by brute force, "But wouldn't it be enough to inform Orb of the situation? I am sure the Orb government has no desire to deliberately violate the treaty."

"Heliopolis is largely independent from Orb as a nation," once again it was Rau, rather than his father, who answered his query, and Athrun wondered why. It was not like the Chairman to let someone else do the talking, particularly not when it came to operations of such importance as this, "Therefore, a request to the Orb Government could have very little affect at all."

"I know that," And he did. Anyone who expected to graduate from the Academy had to study the treaties and customs of the nations of Earth before they could expect to receive their uniform, but this move he still found difficult to accept. "But I still think..."

"Don't think, Captain," the Chairman's rebuttal came swiftly, if later than Athrun had expected, "It's not your job to think. That is reserved for people like myself and the other people who plan these operations. In war, soldiers do as they are told, and it is the committee who decides when and where the blows will fall."

"Yes, sir," he responded by habit, and it took several moments before the words actually sunk in, at which point he swallowed abruptly, "Captain, sir?"

"You are being placed in command of the main squad that will lead the assault," Rau supplied, "The Zala Team, consisting of you, and those other five elites awaiting their placement within a team, is to be in charge of the entire operation."

"M-my team, sir?" Of all the things he had been expecting when he received the summons, _this_ had not been among them, and his gaze flickered doubtfully between the two men, sure there must have been some mistake.

"Yes, _your_ team," the curtness of his tone signified a decrease of patience, and Athrun stiffened by instinct as he turned back to face the speaking Chairman, his stance military by practice, "This is a pivotal assignment, Athrun. It needs to be done, and done well. If we can pull this off, the Earth Alliance will be at a serious disadvantage, and we can begin a more determined assault on their main bases. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"I understand, sir," He would have had to have been stupid not to, though he _was _surprised such an important task would be entrusted to a team that was not even formed yet. Certainly, the six of them had been together during drills and small operations in space ever since graduation, with no placement to be had elsewhere the elites had naturally fallen in together, but still, it seemed a risky move for someone as cautiously determined as Patrick Zala, "The operation is vitally important, and must succeed. I...We will do our best."

"I hope so," the Chairman gave a slight snort, deactivating the screen on the desk, so it returned to it's normal black surface, "A briefing will be given in full this afternoon to the rest of your team in the main briefing room at the base. Councilor Joule will provide the necessary information, though most of it will have to be studied en route. You will have plenty of time to stake out the area and prepare the assault, as we shall not move till the end of the month."

And there was the unspoken admission of why he had been so careful in learning the Clynes' schedule. It was one thing to attack a neutral nation, but something else entirely to do so whilst your own peace representative was in the country.

"New machines will be provided for all of you as well," Rau continued, filling in the silence the Chairman had left, "You will have time to accustom yourself to them, our latest models, state of the art, and a sign of just how important this task is. With them, it should be a simple matter to seize the city, but do be careful. If the Earth Alliance is using it as a supply route, there is a distinct possibility that they could have forces stationed there in secret as well. The Special Forces did not find any such personnel to be in evidence, but that does not mean it is not a possibility."

"You are dismissed, Captain," Patrick continued, not even giving Athrun a chance to reply, "The briefing will be at 1600 hours, so don't be late. Councilor Joule will not appreciate it if you are tardy."

With a dismissal so blatantly obvious, there was little Athrun could do except salute and make his exit, even if it felt like his heart had sunk to the soles of his boots. The operation had been placed on his shoulders with little warning and not so much as a 'by your leave', and whilst he knew that was a part of being in the military, he did think his father might have listened more to his own concerns. On top of that, he hadn't even had a chance to ask the question he asked every year on this day, even though he knew without doubt what the answer would have been.

His father never visited the grave of his wife, not even on the memorial of her death.


	4. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 Dreams and Reality.**

The hill was barren, an oddity for a place that could be made as beautiful as it's creators wished, and a fact that made it stand out all the more against the ethereal background against which it was set. To all sides the ground was hidden beneath a curtain of pink candy floss, either the silky petals attached to the trees, or the cherry blossoms which smothered the ground in a carpet of the same color. In such an atmosphere, the just barely green surface of the slope seemed desolate, something both fitting and not so for the role it fulfilled. Whilst down amongst the trees the touch of the artificial breeze was a soft caress, out here it was neither soft nor kind, but a ravaging thing, which wore away the stones marking the still sight. For the hill was a graveyard, covered in headstones, dotted here and there at random intervals, but on it's peak stood a shining stone, white amongst all the grey, and engraved on it's surface was the name of one sweet woman who would no longer serve the world she loved.

'Lenore Zala'.

There was no other inscription on the tomb, no more was needed, for Lenore was woman both well known and well loved for her generosity and unending kindness. Along with her husband, a leader of the people, and only son they seemed to make up the perfect family, a role model for those around them, until their lives were shattered in a single day, shattered by a simple decision. It was something nobody knew, everyone thought the family survived, that they moved past her death, and tightened their bonds.

They were wrong.

Today was the tenth anniversary of her death, and the tenth time Athrun had stood here alone. It was something he had long since realized would never change, but that certainly did not mean he understood it, hard though he had tried to come up with a reason. A reason for that, and the reason his father might as well have been a stranger to him now. Sometimes, it made him wonder if he had known the man at all, even before. He had _her_ eyes, their sparkling emerald color, and her soft sapphire hair, perhaps _that_ was why the family split apart. Because he just looked too alike to her, and was a constant reminder that she was gone.

Or perhaps it had nothing to do with that at all, perhaps the simple truth was that the death of his wife had robbed the husband of the ability to care anymore, and closed his heart off in a prison of ice. Whatever the case, the actions of a father who should have supported his son had torn the family apart, though only a young woman with hair that matched the shade of the surroundings perfectly, and her own father, knew the truth surrounding that situation.

Knew, and could do nothing, just as he himself was helpless to do anything, as helpless as the child he had been ten years ago.

Kneeling, he carefully placed the flowers on the smooth stone, before rising once more and turning to leave. He could linger here no more than he could do anything to bring his father with him, for his time was not his own, not anymore. He paused, however, on the very peak of the hill, listening to the soft voice carrying on the wind. He had known she was there, there was no way not to when she had been singing from the moment he arrived, but only now had he allowed himself to stop and listen. She had a beautiful voice that had moved many people, and by which she now hoped to move more. It was an inevitable fact that further battles were coming, and anything she could do as a member of the Peace Committee to forestall that she would do, for that was the path she had chosen. He did not know whether to admire her for it or to fear for her, but either way she would have his support. She had been there for him, it was time to repay the favor.

Moving quietly he made his way down through the gravestones to the small grove at the bottom, following the sound of her voice, already knowing the scene in which he would find her. The young woman was sitting amongst the blossoms, playing with the birds which dared come close enough for her to touch. They knew her well, for this was a place she frequented often, a place of tranquil beauty, no matter how it had been created.

"Lacus?" He had been surprised she was here at all, when she had told him herself of her impending departure, but he did not allow that to show in his voice. He had known Lacus would come here today, in the morning, as she always did, he just hadn't expected her to stay there this long.

Her bright blue eyes were shining when she spotted him, not that he had ever seen them dulled, ever, and she smiled brightly, something that only amplified the soft planes of her face, her voice musical even in plain speech, "Hello, Athrun."

"I thought you would have left here already." He murmured, moving closer, so that he was standing only a few steps away, but not drawing closer, for fear of startling the birds, not so familiar with him as her. Once he might have frequented this place as often as she did, but other commitments had lessened the opportunity to do so. He had forgotten how peaceful and restful this place could be, an escape from the increasing harshness of the world outside, but still not a reality.

She simply smiled again in response to his observation, brushing crumbs from her hands, and patted the ground beside her. It was almost by instinct he obediently sat down, following a gesture that had become custom between them, almost as customary as the wave of his father's hand, waiting as she explained.

"Father had to detain the trip a few hours, to fit in with an extra meeting scheduled here, we are not leaving until tomorrow. He was concerned that perhaps the colonies were being ignored in favor of the homeland. This treaty could affect all the world, but how can we offer advice to the nations of Earth if _their_ submissions are not first heard here?"

"I see..." he looked at the small sparrow, hopping up and down in her lap, and considered briefly her ability to attract all manners of beings. It had nothing to do with her genetics, as so many people claimed was the case with abilities and talents these days, but was a simple statement of fact he had come to accept without explanation. Lacus was Lacus, that was all there was to it. "What are you going to do...on Earth?"

It unsettled him that she was leaving the PLANTs at all, that she would be going into potential enemy territory, and with only a little security. People did not see her as a threat, certainly, she was a peace minister, but that did not eliminate the possibility of her becoming a target. In some cases, in fact, it was the opposite. But there was more than that now, since this morning, and though Siegel had already told him her schedule, if indirectly, he wanted to be certain.

"Well," She paused a moment to consider, pursing her lips in an unconsciously adorable gesture, "First we have to visit the leaders of the Earth Alliance Territory, then I was planning on visiting Orb."

"The neutral territory?" She should be safe there at least, with no threat from either the enemy or any other people who might have reason to attack her. Orb was known as 'The Sanctuary' for a reason, though how well that title would apply _after_ he was not sure.

"That's right," She petted the small creature, which chirruped contentedly, despite the fact the supply of food was depleted, "After all, it's the least I can do to make sure everyone enjoys my music, and hopefully, everyone hears my message as well. I won't have long to do that, only about a month, but I can still try."

He nodded, amused how the expression on her face could go from calm and contented to serious and determined all at once, before asking the question that would not settle in his mind, "When you go to Orb, what's you father going to do?"

"Well, he'll be staying in Earth Alliance Territory during the meeting, so we'll meet back up again at the shuttle station."

"You _are_ taking bodyguards?"

She giggled, throwing him an almost exasperated glance as she patted him on the hand briefly, "Of course, stop worrying."

He frowned unconsciously, not liking how lightly she was treating this. As a peace representative, she should know better how great the risk was, but then, that was another thing Lacus was unreasonably good at, acting naïve when she knew better. She would not take it lightly, but she would not want him to worry either. "Sorry...It's just...I don't want to see anyone else get hurt."

She looked at him, he sensed that, but he had averted his gaze, and she could not see his expression, nevertheless he could sense her remorse without seeing her face, and knew what was coming next, though he could do nothing to forestall yet another avenue of conversation he did not want to pursue. Not again.

"I'm sorry," She said apologetically, "That was thoughtless of me. Did he...Did he come with you this time?"

"No." The response was curt, he was well aware of that, and perhaps a little unfair, but it was something he did not wish to discuss. Something he had _never_ wanted to discuss.

"I _am_ surprised," Lacus answered softly, lifting the bird off her lap, and watching as it hopped away, almost smothered in the carpet of pink, "I mean, I know how he feels, but surely, on the anniversary..."

"Look, I have to go," Athrun rose abruptly, unwilling to face this conversation, brushing leaves and petals off his clothes as he spoke, "There's a five o'clock curfew at the base now, and I have a briefing..." he paused, realizing vaguely that he might be being impolite, "Uh, have a nice trip, Lacus. Come back in one piece, okay?"

"I will." She promised, also rising, "I should be getting back too. I still need to pack."

He nodded, then gave her a quick smile before turning to head back the way he had come, back to the real world, and not this dream sanctuary in which she seemed so at home. She went in the other direction, skipping amongst the blossoms, and it did not once occur to him to question why she seemed to fit into the dream world better than reality.

* * *

Nichol Amalfi was one of the youngest members to graduate from the Academy as an elite red, and _the_ youngest of the six who had graduated as the best of the best. That high score had been what earned him a position in the elite group that was formed from the six of them, something he was not so sure he would have gotten had the criteria been their ability to work as a team. Not that he didn't get along with any of his peers, far from it, Nichol simply knew that several of the older members, Yzak Joule, for one, did not think he was worthy of this position. It did not bother him, really, and so far it had not seemed to have affected any of their drills, or their missions even, but he had to wonder how it would affect their ability to work as a team, now that the real battle was about to begin. Of course, _his_ lack of skill, or supposed lack of skill, had very little to do with the current scowl painted across the albino Coordinator's face. No, that temper was currently directed at the member of the team who had yet to arrive, one Athrun Zala, and over something that hadn't even been Athrun's doing.

The choice of who was to be captain of the squad had been left up in the air for some time, something that had caused issues during training, but rarely anything insurmountable. Now that they had been given their first serious assignment, and the choice had been made, one could practically feel the waves of disapproval and annoyance radiating off Yzak. It was a palpable thing, even if it was not quite as apparent as the fact Dearka Elsman, another of their eldest members, was very deliberately covering the grin on his mouth in an effort to look studious that was betrayed by the evident crinkles about his eyes. Miguel Aiman was being much more successful in his attempts, a calm expression on his face as he studied the data pads they had been given. Nichol was sure he had already memorized his, just like the fifth member of their team, Rusty Mackenzie, who was sitting with his own pad laid out on his lap, exchanging amused glances with his friend. Catching Nichol's gaze he raised his hand in a coded sign, to which the green haired Coordinator immediately shook his head. Rusty had a talent for pranks and trouble, but now was hardly the time to employ them, not with Yzak already in a foul mood.

To his relief the uncomfortable silence was broken a few moments later when their final member made his appearance, ten minutes early, though hardly the half hour they had all been, a coincidence Nichol had found almost amusing, especially since it had been their early arrival that had caused Yzak to have the news broken prematurely. Though, on second's thought, perhaps that was a good thing. An explosion with Athrun absent was better than one with him here.

"You're early," his new, _oblivious_ captain stated, after doing a sort of double-take, "_All_ of you are early. Even _Dearka_."

"Are you implying something?" the tanned blond uncovered his mouth and let the grin show, whilst Yzak continued to glare at the briefing desk, where their briefer had yet to arrive, "I didn't have much of a choice, you know, since I had to get Miguel to drive me here."

"What's wrong with _your_ car?" Athrun asked bluntly, as he seated himself between Nichol and Rusty, something that by now had become an automatic gesture for them all. The younger half of the team on one side, the older on the other, "Was it seized again?"

"Well, now, before you go making _any_ presumptions," Dearka began in mock protest, "It wasn't my fault, exactly, and..."

"Oh, save us the bollocks story!" Yzak erupted predictably, "Why don't you just admit you never watch where you are going! It's a miracle you haven't flown your machine into a hangar wall yet!"

Dearka blinked a moment, and several other members of the table too, but it was Athrun who broke the descending silence, confusion readily apparent in his expression, "Did I miss something?"

"Don't you always?" Rusty chuckled, "Don't mind Yzak, Athrun, he's in a sour mood."

"One would think _that_ was obvious..." Dearka began, breaking off with a yelp, then drawing his leg out from under the table to nurse his shin, "That's not fair!"

"Who said anything about playing fair?" Rusty continued, clearly enjoying this situation, "Anyway, as I was saying, Yzak here is just jealous that..."

"I am _not_ jealous!"

"He's jealous because," Rusty continued unperturbed, not even glancing at the infuriated silver haired pilot, "He doesn't want to answer to someone younger than him." The glare that Yzak shot the auburn haired youth could have frozen a desert, but Rusty was entirely oblivious, choosing to pretend Yzak did not exist at all, "Cool, huh?"

Athrun frowned quizzically at his friend for a moment, before turning to Miguel, the only other member of the table who could be depended upon for sensibility, "Should I know what they're talking about?"

"Most people don't," Miguel shrugged, finally laying his data pad aside, "But, in short, the argument Rusty is trying to encourage is over Yzak's disgust at your appointment as captain."

"Oh," the expression on Athrun's face went suddenly blank, and Nichol found himself wondering what his new captain was thinking. Athrun's thoughts were normally a closed book, and this seemed to be no exception. _"That's_ what this is about?" It took Nichol by surprise that Athrun had already known, but he _had _been absent all morning, so perhaps it was to be expected, as expected as the attempt to pacify Yzak, in any case, "Yzak_..."_

"Don't. Just, _don't_."

"Am I interrupting something?"

Any trace of humor, any trace of _emotion, _was banished at the sight of Ezalia Joule standing behind the briefing table, a disapproving scowl on her face. Nichol wondered briefly whether she had had to perfect that expression of disapproval, or whether it was a natural part of her features. Either way, it had all of them on their feet and crisply saluting before she had even finished speaking.

"That's better," her tone did not change in the slightest as she turned away from them to the screen, but when she continued it was in a crisper tone, what Rusty had fondly dubbed 'the briefing tone', "This is your target," she pointed at the figures appearing on the screen, before turning back to them, "It is supposedly in neutral territory, but ZAFT has firm evidence that the Earth Forces are using it to ferry supplies to help their war effort. By bypassing the normal routes, the Earth Forces have gained a significant advantages, with their supplies arriving sooner, and more regularly, than we can hope to compete with. Your aim is to seize the harbor, and prevent further transport of supplies through this area. The specifics will be provided for you en route, but if you have any specific question, now would be the time."

"I have one," Miguel said smoothly, holding up the data pad in his hand, "We have most of the information provided to us, but there is one thing absent. What is this place's name?"

For a moment the councilor merely looked at him blankly, if one could ever call that stern stare blank, before giving a curt nod, and speaking a single word.

"Heliopolis."

And Nichol had to wonder why exactly Athrun had begun to scowl.


	5. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: To Arms**

The capital of the small peninsula of Heliopolis was a city of many faces, learning, business, creativity, performance, and leisure all packed in to a not so large parcel. The people in it were as diverse as one could find in any multicultural nation, and yet, perhaps due to the fact it was not so large in comparisons to others across the world, the city still succeeded in providing a homely face to any and all visitors. That did not mean, on the other hand, that the city was lacking in it's action, one could hardly say that, certainly not when it had just played host to one of the most renown pop singers of the current age.

The five friends walked out of the entertainment centre together, stretching limbs stiff from a long period of time seated, laughing and joking in a way so free they might easily have been identified as members of the nation of Orb. Most other countries had long since lost the capacity for such a free show of emotions, or indeed the chance to visit such a place at all. War was destroying morals and the very way of life, there was no doubt about that, but this place, at least, for the moment remained untouched. The group was made up of two girls and three boys, two of the boys had brown hair, the third blonde, and the girls were brunette and red head respectively. The five of them had just attended the concert of famous singer, Lacus Clyne, a well known peace idol to both Earth and the Plants. Well known, and well loved. To Orb, a nation which abided by a neutral stance, the young peace minister was a hero, someone who was not afraid to stand up for her beliefs, or to help her father in his difficult task of trying to prevent that which others seemed so eager to begin. Of course, to many of the citizens of Orb that part of her role was sidelined, she was a singer, a performer, and they were there to enjoy it, but for those few who understood what went on beyond their boundaries, she was a beacon of light in a world gone dark.

Kira Yamato was not such a person. An amazingly talented Coordinator with abilities beyond even those who shared his genetically engineered origins Kira had never ever lived in a war zone. He understood the concept to a degree, but did not take the time to think on it any more than was strictly necessary. To Kira, war was a part of the outside world, and within Orb, it was a reality that did not exist. Some people might have said he was living in a dream world, and that might have been true, he was known to be a dreamer, but Kira stood by his beliefs, even if he was not sure what place they had in this war. Of course, going to this concert, for him, had simply been an enjoyable night out with friends, a degree of happiness that was lessened only slightly when he strode around the corner at the head of the group and was abruptly slammed by something small, round, and astonishingly _pink_.

"Oh, my!" the ringing voice sounded a moment after he had hit the pavement, and for one dazed second he considered the possibility it was his head, rather than his back, that had cracked against the hard surface, "Are you alright, sir? Haro, please refrain from bouncing on him!"

"Haro!" The ball chirped happily, bouncing back to it's owner's hands as the boy slowly sat up and sheepishly dusted himself off, before looking up to see who had spoken, his jaw dropping open in unconcealed astonishment.

"L-Lacus C-Clyne?"

"Yes?" she cocked her head to the side inquisitively, bright blue eyes wide with concern, "I'm so sorry about that, sometimes, he gets out of control. Haro, behave!" She scolded, as the ball began to bounce around the rest of the group, then shrugged helplessly when she was ignored, and turned back to offer her hand, "Since you know my name," She smiled, once she had helped him to his feet, "Might I know yours?"

"Kira, Kira Yamato." He responded instantly, speaking so quickly that he could not be sure she would even understand him, and blushing furiously at the same time. Of all the ways to meet a star, he just _had_ to be flat on his back! Hoping to distract that lightly amused gaze away from him he turned to gesture to his companions, managing to slow his voice down to a more reasonable rate, "And these are my friends. Tolle Keonig, Sai Argyle, Mirriallia Haww, and Flay Allstair."

"I see," Lacus smiled brightly at all of them, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Were you at the concert?"

"Yes, Miss Clyne," Tolle answered, and Kira was grateful, for he seemed unable to speak, "It was great, Miss Clyne, it's been so long since you toured Earth, the tickets were sold out within an hour!"

"Is that so?" her voice was only mildly inquisitive, and she quickly brushed past the last part of Tolle's address, returning to his earlier words instead, "Please, just Lacus will do fine." She then turned back to Kira, much to his mortification, a strangely pensive look on her face, "Kira, did you say? Kira Yamato? Now, where have I heard that name before?"

"Miss Lacus!" Kira have a start as two men dressed in dark clothes appeared suddenly beside the girl, making him very nearly jump out of his skin, wondering if he was going to be arrested. Surely they couldn't do that when it was _she_ who had approached them? He wasn't a rabid fan, he would be fine! "There you are. Stop giving us the slip!" The elder of the two, a man with brown hair and a scar across one eye scolded her, before turning to give a similar look to the fivesome.

"Oh, sorry," She smiled innocently, forcing his attention back to her, "I was just apologizing to this young gentleman, Haro got out of control."

"I see," The man looked at Kira doubtfully, then at last seeming to decide Kira was not trying to harm Lacus he smiled, "Hi, I'm Andrew Waltfield, one of Miss Clyne's bodyguards. This is Martin DaCosta," He nodded at the other man, a red head, "Her other attendant, and my partner in crime."

"Kira," Kira introduced himself for the second time, congratulating himself on neither rushing or blushing this time, "Kira Yamato."

"Nice to meet you, kid." Andrew formally shook Kira's hand, then turned back to Lacus,"Now, Miss Lacus, if we are to meet your father as scheduled we should be leaving now. We are already behind schedule, after all."

"Of course!" The young woman nodded brightly, turning to walk away, but even as she did so she looked over her shoulder and waved, "Bye, Kira, it was nice meeting you!"

Kira waved a hand slowly in response, turning around to glare at his friends as the expected teasing began.

"Kira, Kira, Kira," Tolle muttered, shaking his head, "You never even look at a girl until today, and now you can barely speak! Can't you pick an average lass for a girlfriend?"

"GIRLFRIEND!" Kira shrieked, then, realizing that people were staring, he hissed, "Tolle!"

Mirriallia burst into a fit of giggles, doubling over as she shook with laughter at her madly blushing friend's expense, "Someone has a crush!"

"Guys!" Kira attempted to shut them up for the second time, but by now Flay and Sai joined in.

"He'll probably leave Heliopolis now and follow all her tours!" Sai laughed good naturedly.

"He's out of luck," Stated Flay smugly, who followed all the fashion magazines, "I hear she already has a fiance."

"Really?" Sai stopped laughing abruptly, curiosity overwhelming his amusement, much to Kira's relief, though by the look on Tolle's face the subject was far from over, "She's only eighteen. Who's the lucky guy?"

"Um, it's an arranged marriage to someone in the PLANTs, I can't quite remember who..."

"Come on, Flay, think!" Tolle prompted, wrapping an arm about Kira's shoulder as he continued, unknowingly proving Kira's fears true, "Kira needs to know his competition!"

"Tolle!" Kira's face was beet red by this point, he was absolutely certain, but his so called 'friends' continued anyway.

"Oh, now I remember!" Flay clapped herself on the head, "He's the son of the Chairman of Defense. Patrick, um, Zoola, Zalo, Zado?"

"Zala?" Kira asked suddenly, stiffening visibly, not quite sure what to make of what she was saying. Real life couldn't be that coincidental, could it?

"That's it!" Flay leapt up into the air in her excitement, clapping her hands eagerly, "How did you know?"

"No way!" Kira was incredulous, "Lacus Clyne is engaged to _Athrun_ Zala?"

"That's the one," Flay cried, nodding again, before a frown passed over her pretty face, "How did you know? Uh, Kira? Is everything alright?"

"You know the guy?" Mirriallia asked, seeing the expression on his face, her quick mind drawing the conclusion faster than the others.

Kira nodded, and Tolle whistled, "It's a small, small world."

"Come on, then, spill!" Sai chuckled, giving his friend a teasing punch in the shoulder, "You seem to have a penchant for meeting famous people. Where did you two meet?"

"We went to the same primary school on the lunar colony," Kira explained, rubbing his arm and casting Sai a dirty look. He _had_ hoped Sai would do his usual thing, and help distract Tolle from his often merciless teasing, but apparently, no one was on his side tonight, "I haven't seen him since we were seven!"

"Wow," Flay sniggered, tilting her head as she teased,"It appears he's been busier then you."

"It's an _arranged_ marriage," Tolle uttered soberly, putting emphasis on the word, though his lips were twitching madly, as if trying to escape from the rest of his facial muscles, "You still have a chance to win her heart!"

"Tolle!" Kira's face was red again, and he made a lunge at the other boy, a lunge which went terribly wrong when the ground shifted beneath his feet, sending him sprawling face down on the road. Had it not been for his added reflexes as a Coordinator, he would have had one nasty smash on his face, but as it was he was just able to catch himself with his hands, pushing himself upright, and away from the inevitable collision.

"What was that?" Mirriallia gasped, holding onto a lamp post to steady herself, fear draining the color from her face, "An earthquake?"

"It sounded like an explosion!" Sai said, alarm and worry showing in his expression and voice, "Maybe one of the factory's malfunctioned?"

But even as he spoke there came a horrible whining sound, and a ship swooped low overhead, the draft of wind whipping at their clothes and hair. Flay screamed then, and they all ducked as several more followed. A moment later a second explosion sounded, this time accompanied by the unmistakeable sound of gunfire. It took but a moment to conclude what was happening, and Kira felt his stomach twist.

"What's going on?" he demanded as he regained his feet, almost shouting his defiance at the smothered sky, "This is a neutral city! They can't attack us!"

"Who's attacking us? What's going on?" Flay cried in fear, latching herself onto Sai's arm, "Who are they?"

"They are ZAFT vessels! Everyone, to the shelters!"

The shout came from behind them, and the fivesome were almost swept off their feet by the mad charge that followed. Kira found himself falling again, and grabbed wildly, taking Tolle, and therefore Mirriallia, with him as well. The three regained their feet quickly once the crowd had passed, and Kira was suddenly aware of how deserted the street was, and of the fact he had very little idea of how to react to this situation. They were a neutral country, dammit, this wasn't supposed to happen!

"Come on," Sai took Flay's hand and turned to the others, taking charge, as he always did, "We have to get to the shelters. Follow me."

Sticking together as best as they were able with the very ground trembling beneath their feet every few seconds the five of them ran through the now burning streets, where once had been merriment and joy, there was now only horror and death. He tried to keep his face averted from the bloody bodies sprawled across the street, but try as he might Kira could not prevent his gaze from drifting across the carnage. What he saw sickened him right to his very core, and it took a great effort not to shy away, or to lose his dinner. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Not in Orb. Not in the Sanctuary.

_We had no warning, this wasn't even announced. How could ZAFT do something so heartless!_

"Kira, hurry!" Tolle's frantic call, punctuated by another set of explosions echoing in the night air, succeeded in tugging Kira from his shock, his legs moving almost stiffly as he began to run again.

"I'm coming!" He tore his gaze away from his surroundings, focussing only on his friends, his thank heavens still breathing friends, then caught sight of something in the distance. "Hey, guys! STOP!"

His warning came just in time, the foursome skidding to a halt in their tracks, just before crossing the path of a ball of flame. Flay screamed, clinging to Sai, and Tolle instinctively placed himself between Mirriallia and the flames. For one terrible moment Kira thought they had been caught in the blast, and it was with a sigh of relief that he saw them emerge from the smoky debris, shaken, but seemingly unhurt.

"The shelters are cut off," Mirriallia panted, pointing over her shoulder to the destruction caused by the last explosion, her voice tinged with a note of utter despair, "What do we do now?"

"What are you kids doing out here?"

The irritably snapped question overrode Kira's response, and spinning around he found himself staring into the grim face of a tall, blonde man with sharp blue eyes, currently focussed entirely on him. It was not lost on any of them that he was armed, holding a rifle of no mean size in his hands, and Kira had to repress an urge to shudder like the girls. Nobody carried weapons in Heliopolis. Nobody! "Everyone was instructed to make for the shelters, do you have a death wish or something? Get off the streets!"

"We can't reach the shelters," he explained frantically, wincing as another explosion shook the ground beneath their feet, and praying that this man would have a solution. He didn't want to die! "They're cut off."

"What?" The man scowled, scrunching his face up in a pensive frown for a moment, before sighing and gesturing with his gun, "Fine, then, you see that alley? It leads to the harbor, there is a ship docked there, a red, blue, and white one. It's called the Archangel. Tell the guards that Lieutenant La Flaga sent you, and that he said to take off. Understand?"

"Yes, but..."

"No buts! Now get your asses moving and get the hell out of here!"

Unable to do anything else Kira bolted down the alley he had indicated, his friends following close on his heels, until they reached the end and stumbled out into the harbor. Compared to the rest of the city, the place seemed relatively intact, and it took only a moment to spy the vessel the Lieutenant had described to them.

"There it is!" Tolle shouted, already tugging Mirriallia by the hand, Flay and Sai trailing after. Kira moved to follow them, feet pounding against the hard surface of the wharf, but he could not resist the urge to glance back over his shoulder, and what he saw froze him in place. Heliopolis, the city of peace, a part of the nation of sanctuary, was _burning_. Burning in a fire of death and destruction, a storm like no other, and one which would leave a scar long ere it had passed. The sight rendered him immobile, his breath caught in his throat, and in that moment, he felt real terror. And so he should have, for the moment he had paused Kira had unwittingly placed himself in great danger, pure luck preserving his life when a rocket hit the ground a few meters away and to his horror he found himself flying through the air.

It was not so much a matter of not allowing himself to panic as acting by instinct that made him carefully arrange his body in the best possible position for landing. Even with that natural instinct, he hit the ground with enough force to knock the breath out of his body, and for a moment he simply lay there gasping, before realizing the reason he could not breath properly. There was smoke everywhere, filling his lungs and making his eyes sting, and almost completely blocking his visual sense. Stiffly, he rose to his feet and began to run towards where he thought the ship was, when the sound of gunfire brought him to a halt yet again. Fearfully he peered through the black and murky air, recoiling when he caught sight of three or more Orb soldiers, no more than guards, really, being overpowered by a single Zaft operative. Helpless, he could only gape in horror as the enemy, dressed in a pilot suit, quickly disposed of them one by one, though he began to wonder, somewhere in the dark recess of his mind that was not swallowed by terror, if he should have run _before _the soldier turned towards him, pistol raised, and finger already on the trigger. Whatever thoughts were in his head did not remain there long, however, for the moment the soldier had turned he had a clear view of the person' face, a face he recognized, despite ten years of separation. Unable to move or even run from the danger Kira could only stammer, complete disbelief in his voice.

"A-A-Athrun?"

The other boy blinked, trying to see through the mire created by the explosion. He was the same age as Kira, with green eyes and what would have been dark indigo hair, had it not been partially plastered in blood. For a moment he stared blankly at Kira, as if not sure how to react to being addressed by a stranger, before recognition dawned on his face, and the gun lowered ever so slightly, enough that Kira felt it was safe to breath.

"Kira Yamato?"

"Yes..."

"What the _hell_ are you doing in Heliopolis!"

Kira was slightly taken aback by the outburst, and retorted indignantly, "I _live_ here! Unlike you, who have just invaded a neutral country! Why did you do it? What is going on? Lacus Clyne was still in Orb, why did Zaft attack?"

"Lacus was STILL here!" Athrun's voice went up in pitch, and he began to gaze worriedly back at the city, his face darkening visible, "_Damn_._"_

"What's going on, Athrun?" Kira demanded, anger seeping into his voice, into his mind, banishing the terror back where it could not be seen, for the moment, anyway. Anger was good, he figured, it would not immobilize him, so he did not try to restrain it, "And what are you doing with the army?"

Athrun turned back to face him, and when he spoke his voice was unusually cold, none of his words offering the slightest answer to the millions of questions running through Kira's mind, "Run, Kira, I don't want you to get involved. Get out of here, quickly, before someone shoots you."

"But I..."

"I said GO!" Athrun shouted, something so unusual in itself that it hardly required him leveling his gun at Kira to back up his words, "Before _I_ shoot you!"

Now fearing for his life once again Kira did the only thing he could, he turned and fled, tears stinging his cheeks, but not just from the smoke. This wasn't how things were supposed to be, how the day was supposed to end, and it certainly wasn't how he was supposed to reunite with his best friend, standing face to face with the barrel of a gun, cold emerald eyes behind it. Stumbling in the semi darkness he finally found his way to the Archangel, lurching up the boarding ramp and almost falling through the door but a moment before it slid closed, and the sound of humming engines almost overpowered everything.

"Kira!" Mirriallia was beside him as soon as he boarded, worry etched across her face, "What happened? Are you alright? Oh my gosh, you're bleeding!"

Kira looked down at the side he had landed on, and realized it was true, blood was seeping through his sleeve, and now when he tried to move his arm it felt terribly stiff.

"We need to get that looked at right away," Leaving him no room to argue she grabbed a hold of his uninjured arm and steered him through the crowds of military personnel clogging the passageways. He was astonished at how certain she was in her movements, and wondered how she could possibly have had time to familiarize herself with the area so well she did not need to ask for directions.

"Where...are the others?" Kira gasped, his lungs still filled with smoke, coughing slightly as his irritated throat protested.

"They're waiting in the room we've been given," Mirriallia explained, speaking over her shoulder as she continued to walk, "They would only let one of us wait for you in the hall. What happened out there? One moment you were right behind us, and the next..."

"I got caught in the explosion," Kira explained, just as he and Mirriallia arrived outside the door to the infirmary, "Then I got lost in the smoke." He didn't tell her the full truth, mostly because he was not sure how to begin. How did one go about telling someone you had just been held at gunpoint by a childhood best friend?

In response to Mirriallia's buzz the door to the infirmary opened almost immediately, a doctor and a nurse rising as they entered. Kira soon found himself sitting on one of the beds, having his damaged limb cleaned and tended, but as soon as they were done he insisted on joining his friends, despite the doctor advising him it would be best to remain in place. They seemed to think he was running on adrenaline, and that shock would kick in shortly, but Kira insisted, and eventually the medical professionals relented.

"Are you sure your alright?" Mirriallia asked quietly, as they trudged back down the halls, the worry having not left her face, "You seem...Quiet."

"How could they attack Heliopolis?" Kira whispered, pain in his voice as he spoke, "We aren't even a part of the stupid war!"

"I know," Mirriallia sighed, wringing her hands, "But we were warned."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember that news snippet a while back? No?" She shrugged at his negative response, "Than I'll tell you. About four months ago Chairman Zala of the ZAFT national defense committee appeared on worldwide television to make an announcement. He told the people of Earth and the PLANTs that they had been trying for the past year to secure peace, but that the PLANTs could no longer continue to make purely defensive gestures where only the space colonies were endangered, so they were taking the offensive against Earth. He told us we were warned, and that we should be prepared for a strike at any moment. He also said he'd give us, in Orb, a clue to one of the strike sights, saying it would be somewhere just as innocent as the colony that was destroyed."

"And nobody acted on that?" Kira asked in disbelief, stopping midstride to stare at the brunette girl, "Nobody instilled preventive measures or...or anything?"

"Well, I guess they thought since Orb was a neutral nation no harm would come to it," Mirriallia sighed, looking quite haggard in the white light of the ship's interior, "I just wish I knew what happened to my parents...Hey, guys, I found him."

"Kira!" Tolle leapt to his feet and slapped his friend on the back with enough force to send the brunette stumbling, "You idiot! You had us worried! Oh, and by the way, you'll never guess who else ended up on this ship!"

"Who?" Kira asked, truly baffled, as he regained his balance and sat down on the nearest bed. He was starting to feel something beyond shock and pain now, though he could not have begin to guess what.

"Miss Lacus Clyne!" Flay said, unable to keep quiet in her excitement, "Just think, Kira, of all the time you'll have to get to know her!"

"What? Shut up!" Kira said, turning red for the third time that day, "Heliopolis has just been attacked, can't you guys be serious?"

The group suddenly sobered, and Kira began to regret what he had just said. He wasn't thinking straight., of course they knew what had just happened, but they were safe now, and they were trying to keep their spirits up.

_Way to go with your big mouth, Kira._

"I need a drink." He muttered quickly, more to get out of the uncomfortable silence than anything, and walked swiftly out of the room. Once outside in the hallway he leant heavily against the wall, trying to calm himself down, trying to forget what he had seen, what he had _heard_.

_"What the _hell _are you doing in Heliopolis?"_ the words rang in his ears and mind, the face of his once close friend taunting him, refusing to allow him to dismiss any of what had happened. "Athrun..." He whispered miserably, "What's going on? Why are you in the army, and why, oh why, did you attack an innocent nation? Those people...Oh, _hell_, all those people...!"

His thoughts were interrupted by a very familiar voice, wafting out of one of the nearby rooms, the same disbelief as was in his own mind reflected in the beautiful voice of the young woman. "What? Are you sure? It was ZAFT?"

"There's no doubt about it, Miss Clyne," Andrew Waltfield spoke seriously, his tone grim, "We were lucky this ship was here, since our shuttle was obliterated. I fear we might all have been dead had we remained there."

"But why would ZAFT attack Heliopolis?" Lacus said, sounding confused, "It is not a strategic location, it has not threatened us at all. Besides, they knew I was there!"

"Not quite," Martin DaCosta interceded, "Your performance was one week late, remember? You were probably supposed to be gone."

"Still..." Lacus argued, "Heliopolis was neutral, with hardly any military, why would ZAFT want to attack them? They posed absolutely no threat!"

"Neither did the Seventh Colony," Andrew reminded her quietly, "But the Earth Forces had no qualms about destroying that, and then denying they ever did it."

"Nevertheless, strike and strike back is not the way to end a war," Lacus said seriously, "This is an Earth Forces vessel, isn't it? Is there anyway I would be able to contact the PLANTs from here? Or my father?"

"Not whilst we are still in the battlefield," Martin replied, "So far as I can tell they don't want this ship to leave. The Archangel only has one pilot able to take out a vessel. In fact it only has one vessel, but apparently they captured one of ZAFT's mobile suits in a previous battle, they just don't have anyone who can pilot it. To tell you the truth, if we don't get someone to pilot it we might as well be dead anyway. This is a ZAFT elite squadron, they won't let us off easy."

"But you and Commander Waltfield are both able pilots." Lacus said pensively, "Why don't they just ask you?"

"They're not going to let two former ZAFT aces take out a vessel to fight _against_ ZAFT, are they?" Andrew pointed out, "And I don't know if I want to fight against our own, either, no matter the circumstances. No, they need someone from Orb who is a coordinator. I just wish we hadn't made those things so hard to fly!"

"What are our chances, then, Commander Waltfield?"

"I haven't been a Commander for a long time, ma'am," Andrew gave a short, dry laugh, "But, even so, I wouldn't say they are great. I imagine ZAFT came well prepared for this battle, and this is only one ship with one vessel. I imagine we'll all be in life pods pretty soon, or, in a worse case scenario, dead. Like I say, a pilot right now would be real handy."

Kira had left his position and started to run towards the bridge before he was even consciously aware of making the decision,though he knew he probably wasn't thinking straight, and he would probably regret this decision later. But...But, his friends were aboard this vessel, and if it meant he could protect them, he was willing to try.

_They need someone to protect this ship. There's got to be at least half a dozen mobile suits out there, not to mention lesser vessels. But, if we can reach the Earth Alliance's nearest base we will be safe, and me, and the rest of the gang, can get to Orb from there. I just need to protect them until then._

Initially losing his way in the vast interior of the unfamiliar vessel Kira managed to acquire directions from one of the crew members, and finally found the door to the bridge. After taking a deep breath, and trying to convince himself he was not making _another_ of the stupidest decisions in his life he stepped within. The atmosphere that greeted him within was one of waiting tenseness, as the Captain shouted orders and from somewhere beneath his feet the Combat Lieutenant was also yelling.

"Excuse me." the captain swung around in her chair, hazel eyes bearing down on him, her response instant, almost rehearsed.

"No civilians on the bridge," She said sternly, "Go back to your quarters!"

"Wait!" He argued, as she began to turn away, taken aback by the swift dismissal, "I'm a Coordinator."

"What?" She turned her attention back to him again, her expression considering, curious, even, "What are you saying?"

He swallowed both the dry feeling in his throat and his fear, and spoke as firmly as he was able, "I understand you need a pilot."

"Yes, but..." he could imagine the thoughts running through her mind as her eyes passed over him.

_He's just a kid_.

"Have you had any training?" She asked at last, speaking as though she didn't really want to.

"A little," Kira nodded, keeping his tone level and calm, "I was doing a degree at the college."

"Lieutenant La Flaga has been hit!" Someone yelled from the combat center, "Requesting emergency landing!"

"Let him in," the captain ordered swiftly, then turning back to Kira she nodded hesitantly, as though against her will, "Alright, your on. Make your way to the hangar immediately, you will be piloting the Gundam Strike. I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

As he left the bridge, Kira couldn't help but think the same thing.


	6. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 The First Battle**

Athrun ran back to the vessel he had abandoned earlier in order to back up the infantry, ignoring the carnage that surrounded him, and the explosions that were still sounding from back within the city, where those facilities confirmed to hold military equipment were being swiftly dealt with. Slipping easily back inside the cockpit of the Aegis, just one of the six machines they had been given for this operation, he fired up the engines of his vessel and shot up above the smoke blocking his vision, trying to spy his teammates in the artificial fog.

"Dearka, Yzak, Nichol, Miguel, Rusty! Where are you guys?"

"Busy!" Yzak snapped, his voice crackling slightly due to interference.

"What's up?" Dearka replied cheerily, the sound of an explosion added to his voice, followed by a quiet chuckle. What he found so amusing about this Athrun had no idea, but then, he had never understood Dearka's attitude towards the war at all.

"There is an Earth Forces war cruiser launching from the harbor," and why the hell a war cruiser had been stationed here _this_ day was debatable. It certainly hadn't been there when they scoped the area out twenty-four hours ago! "We need to take it out before it reaches Earth Alliance Territory."

"So, take care of it yourself!" Yzak growled, putting up the argument he seemed to feel was a necessary part of every mission, even more so now Athrun had been chosen to captain the squad, and the fact it was called the _Zala_ Team, "Some of us are working here!"

"Can't," Athrun answered simply, familiar with the unstable temper of his older teammate, "It's equipped with anti Mobile Suit Cannons, and who knows what else. Seriously, this is one big warship, it'll take all of us it take it out."

"Alright," Nichol stepped into the conversation, despite being the youngest on the team he was something of a peacemaker between the clashing personalities of his colleagues, and he employed those talents to their full potential now, "Miguel, Rusty, and I are on our way. Yzak?"

"Fine!" The other pilot sneered, adamant even in defeat, or deferral, "Let's go help them, Dearka, it's obvious they can't cope!"

The other youth chuckled and swung his ship around, heading towards the designated point, before asking with far too much eagerness in his voice, "Where is it?"

"At two o'clock, beware of missiles." Athrun responded crisply, rattling off orders in quick succession,

"Nichol, Rusty, Miguel, the starboard side, we'll take this side. Their only protection got shot down, so we only have to fight against the cannons."

"Roger!"

* * *

"You found a pilot?" The lieutenant asked incredulously, removing his helmet and running a hand through his slick hair. Truthfully, he was slightly put out he had been shot down so soon, but it was obvious ZAFT's best were out there today, a little conciliation, he supposed. "Who...That _kid_!" He choked, cutting himself off, as he caught sight of the youth entering the cockpit.

"It's not like we have a lot of choice," The mechanic in charge grunted, fiddling around with the wires on his machine, "You've busted the Zero."

La Flaga folded his arms and scowled as the Strike began to make it's way to the launching catapult, before turning his glare back to his damaged vessel, which did as little as before to repair it swiftly.

"Sending a child into battle?" he shook his head, worry seeping into his voice as he added, "What's the captain thinking?" Turning to the mechanic he spoke again, "Murdoch, I'm heading up to the bridge. Call me if you get this hunk of junk fixed, okay?"

The other man just nodded and continued working, not even looking up as the lieutenant hurried away.

* * *

Kira had just launched from the catapult, only to find himself right in front of a green suit. Without stopping to think he reacted as he had been taught back at the school and as instinct told him, the latter detectably more prominent than the former. In a short burst of panic he drew the blade of his machine, and drove it mercilessly through the back of the other vessel, putting on a burst of speed to get clear of the resulting explosion. Why he had thought flying a Gundam would be as easy as flying a plane he did not know, because it certainly _wasn't_, and there was _two _more of them out here!

"Damn," he murmured, as he realized they were now well aware of him, not just aware, but heading _towards _him, "Just...damn."

* * *

"Miguel is down!" Rusty cried in warning,

"That's one of ours!" Nichol gasped as he caught sight of the vessel emerging from the Archangel's hangar bay, horror and astonishment warring for dominance, "Athrun!"

"They're pinned down, Nichol, it's up to us." Rusty growled, engaging maximum thrust and speeding towards their new opponent. Nichol quickly followed suit and the enemy, who had barely had time to recover from it's near collision with Miguel, found itself bombarded by the two suits. Veering away from them clumsily it dodged wildly to avoid the blasts they sent it's way, almost weaving drunkenly in the sky. Nichol wondered briefly if the machine was defective, or whether it was an unskilled pilot that had caused that obviously improvised gesture, but did not have time to consider further as Rusty's voice crackled across the intercom.

"The eighth sequence?"

"Right," he nodded, even though it was unlikely Rusty was waiting for confirmation, "The Eighth Sequence."

* * *

"Crap!" Tugging quickly on the controls Kira spun upwards to avoid being crushed by the two machines, pulling a gun from the arsenal backpack on the Strike he began to fire blindly, forgetting his lessons in his fear, as well as the fact a machine this advanced _had_ to have a targeting console.

"Kid!" A voice crackled across the com line, irritation in the Lieutenant's tone as he snapped, "Use the targeting screen, you idiot!"

Not bothering to respond to _that_ outburst, something his subconscious mind seem to thoroughly agree with, the idiot part, anyway, Kira quickly pressed a button on the console, eyes scanning the targeting screen that shot forth in response. This was going to be tricky, especially seeing as these guys were quite clearly professionals, but if he was lucky, if he was so very lucky...

"It's just like a simulation, Kira, you can do this."

He didn't really care of the bridge heard him, or if they thought he was mad, because right now, he was thinking the same thing himself. Ignoring that somewhat depressing thought he closed his eyes for just a second, the amount of time it took to pull the trigger.

* * *

"Shit! This guy's too good to be Natural!" Rusty hissed through clenched teeth as a sizzling sound reached his ears, sincerely hoping that it was only a graze, and that nothing substantial had been separated from the bulk of his machine. Fighting in a gravity situation was nothing near to the battles they had already been in in space, and he had a feeling that that difference was putting them at a disadvantage, even more so now the other pilot seemed to have gotten his shit together.

"But why would they have a Coordinator in the Earth Forces?" Nichol sounded puzzled, but Rusty brushed his wondering aside, replying crisply.

"No time to find out. Let's get this jerk!"

Moving quickly he shifted his suit's position and dropped down towards the sea, Nichol instead shooting upwards. They had practiced this sequence before, just as they had the eighth, and it had never failed them. Rusty just hoped that record lasted, otherwise they could be in deep trouble.

* * *

Quickly realizing they were going to come at him from two angles Kira braced himself, turning his head from side to side in an almost dizzying manner as he tried to follow both his enemies at once, something that was proving almost impossible. One of the suits had disappeared into the clouds above, his other enemy dipping below the ocean's surface, leaving no trace of it's whereabouts. Then, without warning, both of them shot back into view, moving in perfect sync as they bore down on Kira's position. Holding his breath Kira waited until the last possible moment, then shot out from between them, hoping they would smash into each other. But the pilots had clearly been expecting such a move, and were too skilled for such a mistake, both immediately pulled up, so that they were flying only millimeters apart, the front of the suits almost touching. Then, giving Kira as little time to react as possible, they both drew their cannons and began to spin around and around as a pair, creating a rotating laser gun.

Kira had a hard time avoiding the attack, with twice the fire power, and twice as many directions it could come from, but by some miracle even he didn't dare to question he managed, and the two split apart without taking their opponent down, seeming to retreat a little to ponder their next move. Kira did not particularly mind if they did so, in fact, he was quite okay with them just hovering, because right now, if they pulled another stunt like that, he didn't think he would be getting out of this alive.

* * *

"Wow, he _is_ good." Nichol said in open admiration, "I wonder who he is?"

"Nichol!" Rusty chided his friend in exasperation, "Focus!"

"Oh, sorry, what do we do now?"

"Try the sword swipe." Rusty ordered, already beginning to switch his weapons,

This time they shot left and right, beginning to circle the enemy, going in opposite directions to confuse the other pilot as much as possible. Every once in a while one of them would randomly shoot into the centre without warning, bringing their sword crashing down in what could have been a killing blow many times. Using this attack there were several times when they thought they had him, only to find the Strike's shield raised just in time, and it soon became obvious to both of them that though they were good, this guy just might be better.

* * *

"Nichol and Rusty are in trouble!" Dearka yelled, making his teammates wince at the volume of his voice over the speakers, enough to cause distortion, when explosions did not.

"I know," Athrun answered grimly, trying to keep his worry out of his voice. He was the captain, so far as he knew, he was disentitled to worry, "But there is nothing we can do at the moment. If we leave to help them now the mother-ship will be sure to follow."

"Then let's take this piece of crap down!" Yzak screamed, descending recklessly through the anti air cannon's blasts.

"He's going to get himself killed!" Dearka snorted, without any real force behind his words, "And he calls _me_ reckless."

"Dearka, missile at twelve o'clock!" Athrun warned, moving himself to avoid the sudden attack, the source of the projectile not readily apparent.

"Shit." Dearka shot upwards, the missile grazing across the foot of his suit before spiraling madly away and exploding in mid-air.

"Ha! Who's going to be killed again?"

Yzak laughed, slashing at the ship's launchers with his blade, now at point blank range, seemingly oblivious to the danger he himself was in. Athrun could only shake his head at his comrades' bickering, aiming the head cannons on his vessel he proceeded to take out several of the lesser guns, which were hindering their attempts at taking out the main cannon of the Archangel, and also coming dangerously close to attacking Yzak's unguarded flank.

"Good shot," Dearka commended his commander, "But not as good as _this_!"

Using every single weapon he had in his arsenal Dearka succeeding admirably in making his mobile suit look like some sort of fireworks festival as hundreds of laser beams shot downwards, smashing into the port side of the Archangel with an almost deafening boom. The ship veered under the onslaught, the damage caused by the assault glaringly visible, but it recovered so swiftly that Athrun concluded it had lost nothing it could not do without.

"And that's why they call it the Buster." Dearka shouted triumphantly, surveying the damage caused by his work with pride,no matter the fact it had done little but demolish a small piece of the ship's outer hull,

"Cool, huh?"

"Idiot." Yzak snapped shortly, but Dearka did not understand the insult, and merely replied unconcernedly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Dearka, you have to withdraw from the battlefield, you're out of power." Athrun pointed out to his comrade, sighing as he glanced down at the console that showed him his comrades' status. His own vessel was creeping dangerously close to the margin as well, so it was no surprise Dearka had just killed his.

"Damn." Looking down at his own panel Dearka's expression showed he had realized they were right, his attack had used every last drop of power in his battery cells, and it was only thanks to the emergency back up installed for such a purpose that he had not yet fallen into the water below him, "Alright, it's up to you guys now."

* * *

"Rusty! Rusty, answer me!" Nichol stared in horror as his partner's suit slowly blackened, then dropped, almost in slow motion, to the ocean. The water leaped up to greet the blackened shell, greedily tugging it within it's depths, and a moment later a huge wave blew into the air, sending both the Strike and Nichol's Blitz flying.

"Nichol! Pull back." Athrun's voice sounded across the airwaves, but was quickly rebutted, even if not by it's intended target.

"What? Are you nuts?" Yzak snapped, "We can still take them!"

"That machine is fresh," Athrun pointed out calmly, already beginning to draw back himself, "We have already spent too much power, we have to pull back whilst we can. Besides, look ahead."

His two comrades did so, and Yzak cursed, realizing they had reached the border. If they proceeded any further they would risk facing Earth Alliance's forces, something they were neither equipped or prepared for. Taking Heliopolis had been their sole purpose, and though they had succeeded, this ship had neatly robbed that success of the sweetness it should have carried.

"Fall back." Athrun ordered again, "Heliopolis has fallen, our mission is accomplished. Return to the Vesalius."

And with no other option open to them, his comrades had no choice but to comply.


	7. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 Consequences**

Kira heaved a sigh of relief as the three remaining enemies swooped away, not a moment to soon in his opinion, jumping as Mu's voice filled his cockpit once again.

"Kid, it's safe now, you'd better head back. ZAFT won't dare enter Earth Alliance Territory."

"Roger." Trembling slightly as he realized the enormity of what he had just done, Kira turned the Strike around and returned to the mother ship, landing at the exact moment they passed through into Earth Alliance Territory, as the console readily informed him. He did not know why he was paying attention to something so clearly unimportant, but right now his mind seemed to have a will of it's own, and would rather concentrate on _anything_ but what he had done. Shaking himself he turned back to the task of settling his vessel back within it's position, and as soon as the Strike was safely docked he disembarked, only to find himself face to face with the Lieutenant.

"Good job, kid, that was really something! You alright?"

"I-I think so," Kira gasped slowly, taking a deep breath and letting it out again, and hoping fervently that his wobbling knees would not give out, "Are we safe now?"

La Flaga nodded, "We are going to dock at the closest port, it's about three hours travel from Orb, I'm guessing you and your friends will want to go back there once we've landed?"

Kira nodded vigorously, and La Flaga patted him on the back, "You did a great job, maybe, when your older, you can enlist?"

Kira paused, frowning as he responded, "Lieutenant La Flaga..."

"It's Mu," The man replied in a friendly manner, "And you have several years to think about it. Go and take a break, you earned it."

Kira nodded again, watching the man's retreating back for a moment, before taking one last look at the Strike's intimidating features he turned and bolted back towards the room his friends were still stationed in, clinging to the hope that if he could just get _away _it would all turn out to be nothing but a nightmare. He was just rounding the final corner before their room when he saw something pink fly across in front of his vision, skidding to a halt to avoid striking it he felt his feet shoot out from beneath him and, with very little grace, promptly sat down on the floor.

"Oh, Haro! Not _again_! I'm so sorry, Mr. Yamato, are you okay?"

Feeling his face slowly turning red Kira quickly leapt to his feet, keeping his eyes on his feet, "Yeah, I'm fine." Curiosity forced him to look up and meet her sparkling blue eyes, the offending little robot now firmly clasped in her hands, "What's going to happen to you, now?" And _that_ was definitely the most stupid, blunt, thoughtless question he had ever asked. He would have kicked himself, had he not already embarrassed himself enough.

She sobered instantly as the word left his mouth, simply sighing as she shrugged helplessly, "Well, my father was meeting with the Representative from the Earth Alliance at the time of the attack, so I'm not sure." the sober mood lasted only seconds, and was instantly replaced by a smile, "But don't worry about me, I'm sure everything will turn out fine." She cocked her head to the side and looked at him with a teasing expression, "You fought in that last battle, didn't you?"

"Um...yeah." He did not bother asking how he had known, after all, her bodyguards had been the one who first discovered the necessity of another pilot, it seemed only natural they should know this as well.

"Thank you, Mr. Yamato, for protecting this vessel." He blinked at her in surprise, but she just gave one of her stunning smiles, "I know it seems strange, coming from me, but I believe what ZAFT did was immoral. I cannot understand why Chairman Zala would authorize such a thing," She was talking half to herself now, "I shall have to ask Athrun about it when I get back to the PLANTs."

Suddenly noticing Kira's uncomfortable expression she immediately asked, "What is wrong? Is something the matter?"

"It's just...uh...Athrun was...The attack on Heliopolis." Kira stammered weakly, unable to find a lie that would suit, or perhaps just unable to lie to her at all. Lacus frowned, trying to discern eligible content in his stuttering, then her eyes widened abruptly, a look of dismay descending on her lovely features.

"Are you telling me he was there?"

Kira nodded mutely, watching as her face suddenly become very troubled, "It's worse than I thought." She whispered.

"What is?" Kira asked, confused and curious at the same time.

"First, Mr Yamato, tell me how you knew Athrun was there. No, wait, how do you know Athrun at all?"

Kira quickly explained how he had met the Chairman's son, and gave her a very brief version of their encounter, trying not to let the doubts that had plagued him following that encounter to arise again, and to block out the thought that Athrun _could_ have been in one of those suits he had shot down. _Not possible_. Definitely _not possible._

"I see," she frowned slightly as he fell silent again, running her hands up and down her arms as she spoke, as though trying to ward off a chill, "Now I know why your name seemed so familiar. I take it this is your first time seeing each other since you were separated?"

Kira only nodded, it was the only thing he could do, and she continued without further prompting.

"So you don't know what happened, three months after the Zala's left the moon?"

"No," he shook his head, before adding, "What happened?"

"Lenore Zala was murdered by assassins." Lacus explained sadly, grief visible in her eyes, "Her and Athrun were on holiday along with some family friends. Everyone else was killed."

Kira knew he had paled visibly, but Lacus continued without seeming to notice,"That was before I met him," she said, with a somewhat wistful smile on her face as she continued, "I actually heard it from someone else that he was there at the time. After that the Zala family broke apart. It happened slowly at first, but the Chairman began to develop an obsession for revenge, and this began to have it's affects on his relationship with Athrun. He was so busy plotting his comeback he gave his son little attention. So Athrun enrolled in the military to try and win back his father's love. So far as I know, it hasn't made things any better. Except for the fact Athrun now has comrades who are his friends."

"Where did you learn all this, if Athrun didn't tell you?" Kira asked curiously. In spite of himself he could not help that curiosity, or the feeling that he had missed more than one important chapter in his best friends life. _Are we even still friends now?_ That thought was quickly smothered, but not before it had implanted itself in his mind.

"My father told me, after our engagement was announced," she answered simply, with a feeble shrug "My father and his father used to be the best of friends, but even that friendship has been strained."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

She looked at him sympathetically, "Because, the reality is, it was him who just destroyed your home. I thought you might like to know why, at least part of the reason. I am still finding it hard to fathom how they will justify this." She sighed heavily, then perked up immediately, "In any case, I need to speak with the Captain of the vessel about dropping me off, or our destination now. I'll see you later, Mr. Yamato, thanks again!"

Smiling brightly and singing softly she began to walk away, Kira watching her in confusion, somewhat bewildered by her sudden mood changes, before turning only to see his friends' heads peeking through their door.

"Wow!" Tolle chuckled as soon as he approached them, "I can't believe you plucked up the courage to talk to her!"

"What were you guys talking about?" Mirriallia pressed, "It seemed very serious!"

"Did you ask her out on a date?" Sai teased.

"No!" Kira sighed wearily, covering his ears with his hands, "And if you guys keep on about it I'm going to ask for a separate room!"

"Alright, alright! We'll drop it." Tolle sighed sadly, giving his friend a playful grin, "You really are a spoilsport, Kira."

Kira yawned, too tired to argue as he muttered, "Whatever."

"Where were you, Kira?" Mirriallia asked suddenly, not a little worry in her voice as she continued, "We were worried sick. You didn't even say where you were going and we were in a fight and everything."

"I...Went out into battle." Kira said quietly, the full enormity of it suddenly seeming to press down on him, until he began to wonder if he was going to be able to breath. _I only did what I had to...what I had to..._

"WHAT!" all four of them gasped, but he continued in the same calm tones, amazed at the fact his voice could sound that way when his head was ready to explode with so many thoughts running in frantic circles.

"I shot two of them down, too."

"You..." Tolle paused, unsure how to react to his friend's announcement,"Didn't have a choice, right?"

Kira flopped back onto one of the beds, staring up at the ceiling, "I don't know anymore." he sighed, "I don't know what to think. But I couldn't...I couldn't do _nothing_!"

"Everything will be alright." Mirriallia assured him, climbing up onto the bunk above him and peering down into his face, "We'll go back to Orb as soon as we arrive. You won't have to go back into battle again."

"Yeah, I guess you are right." He yawned again, "In the meantime, I'm stoned. Do you guys mind if we turn in now?"

"Nah," Sai stretched, his shoulders popping as he moved towards another of the beds,"It's been a long night, anyway, the inside of this ship isn't exactly interesting!"

The rest of the group chuckled, and one by one they curled up in their bunks and drifted off to sleep. But Kira found that, no matter how weary he was, he could not sleep, because every time he tried to close his eyes he saw only Athrun's face, and the betrayal that lingered there as he cut his friend down.

* * *

"No way," Yzak gasped, disbelief and outrage on his face as he proceeded,"We lost Miguel _and_ Rusty?"

Nichol nodded sadly, clearly doing his best not to show exactly how much he had been upset by their losses. Miguel had been the oldest on their team, a little cool, but definitely a caring individual. And Rusty...Rusty had been his friend for so long now Athrun could not remember a time when they hadn't been friends and now...Now they were _both_ gone. "There is no way that pilot was a Natural, he was too good."

"One of our ships too," Dearka growled, a rare show of anger masking his normally good natured expression, "The nerve of the Earth Forces!"

Athrun said nothing, simply stood in silence, allowing a sickening realization to reverberate through his very being. He had not forgotten in what direction Kira had run, and he had a good inkling who the pilot might have been, even if it seemed utterly impossible.

_But, he couldn't have...He's not even a soldier!_

"Earth calling Athrun!" Dearka waved a hand across in front of his face, and he jumped back in surprise, snapping irritably.

"What did you do that for!"

"Are you alright?" Nichol asked anxiously, watching his commander through somewhat bleary eyes,"You just fazed out on us."

"I'm fine," Athrun replied, brushing imaginary dust off his uniform, "I was just thinking about something."

_Lacus was there, but she must have escaped alive. She can't be..._

His train of thought was interrupted a second time as Yzak spoke, "Yeah, I thought Heliopolis was a bit of a strange target too. I mean, what exactly do they contribute towards the Earth Forces? Now Orb may very well ally with the Earth Alliance against Zaft, then we'll be in trouble!"

"The Chairman's a tactical genius, there must be some move behind it." Dearka shrugged, clearly unconcerned with reasoning. He never did care much for tactics, a battle was a battle to him, and right now, having to deal with the loss of two comrades, he cared even less.

"Heliopolis was attacked because the Earth Forces have been using it as the main trade route for supplies, since supply carriers are technically neutral, it was allowed. Now that Heliopolis is in ZAFT's hands it will be a lot harder for them to get supplies to their HQ and therefore they will not be able to launch as many battalions into space." Athrun interrupted, explaining the plan as it had been explained to him, anything to escape running over what had happened again and again, "That was the theory behind the attack."

"Makes sense, I guess." Dearka shook his head, waving a finger as he added, "But I still say a lesser team could have been sent. We could've been kicking ass on the frontline right now, instead of tagging around here!"

"Well, now the operation is complete we will be removing ourselves from the battlefield," Athrun replied, "The other teams will secure the area. We, on the other hand, have been assigned a new mission."

"What's that?" Nichol asked, as surprised as the others that they could have been given another so soon. Athrun himself had received the transmission whilst docking the Aegis, so it was no surprise to him they were taken aback.

"Our team is going to be reformed under the leadership of Commander Le Creuset, who will be arriving shortly, then we will begin pursuit of the Archangel."

"Pursuit of the Archangel?" Yzak blinked, confusion on his face as he demanded, "What for?"

"They have the Strike," Nichol realized suddenly, "Imagine what a blow it would be to us if they learnt how the mobile suits are designed and created! They might even be able to make a prototype that could be flown by a Natural."

"God forbid!" Dearka snorted, "Those guys can't even ride a tricycle, let alone fly one of those beasties."

'They're human too, you know." Athrun replied dryly, "You don't have to treat them like rodents." And turning on his heel he left the congregation room without another word.

* * *

Dearka blinked at the door which closed behind their leader, before turning to his two teammates, "What's gotten to him?"

"Beats me," Yzak shrugged, "He always was a broody bastard. He's probably upset because the Commander's coming."

"Now, come on, Yzak," Dearka responded instantly, "We both know Athrun doesn't..."

Leaving his two older comrades to bicker, Nichol also stepped outside, letting the door hiss shut behind him and cut off the rest of the conversation as he peered up and down the corridor. Athrun was out of sight, but Nichol had a good idea where he would go, and it took him only a matter of minutes to reach the observation deck.

"Hey," He said quietly, joining the stiff figure his captain cut against the glass panel, "Is everything alright? You snapped at Dearka back there."

Athrun shrugged, not tearing his gaze away from the view below them,"I'm fine. He was asking for it."

"That's normally something I'd expect from Yzak, not from you." Nichol paused, trying to read his companions face, which, as always, was carefully blank. _I wonder how long it took him to perfect an emotionless expression. _Nichol brushed that thought aside, and tried to start the conversation once again, "Is it about...attacking Heliopolis?"

_Bingo!_

Athrun ground his teeth audibly, speaking in carefully restrained tones as he replied, "Lacus was still there."

"What? But the concert was supposed to finish last week..."

"It was late."

"Oh," Nichol searched for something to say, anything that might reassure his friend, "Uh, she was with Commander Waltfield and Captain DaCosta, they're veterans, I'm sure she's fine."

Athrun smiled, an expression Nichol was not entirely sure he liked, "I'm sure she's fine too."

He then turned and walked away, leaving Nichol more baffled than before, and more than a little worried. Sighing heavily he turned and leant his forehead against the cool glass, thinking, for what he would soon discover was not to be the last time, that as first missions went, this one had been little more than disaster.


	8. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: In the Shadows**

"A remarkably successful operation, Commander Azrael." General Halberton gave a slow nod as he watched the young, blond haired man step away from the communications centre, a rarely seen respect in his eyes. It had not been easy to inspire that respect from men so much older than himself, certainly not when they all considered him a brainless millionaire, but now they would see, they would all see.

"Indeed, it was, wasn't it?" Muruta Azrael did not hesitate to allow the smirk to form on his face, walking gracefully across the room to seat himself at the head of the table, "It will not be long before Orb plays right into our hands."

"Are you so sure?" Garcia was a pessimist, and Muruta was dismissing his words almost before they left his mouth, "Orb has never proved to be a weak nation before, what makes you think they will cower after one little attack from ZAFT?"

"Oh, I have my ways," he waved a hand airily, barely preventing another smile as he considered how valuable his informant had become. These people had thought he was a fool, but by trusting the information he had received he had been able to make a strategic move that could very well see Orb at it's knees before them, begging for their protection. Once that happened, they would have a sure advantage over ZAFT, and it would not be long before the entire world was in the grip of the Earth Alliance, no matter about those traitors who had entered into peace negotiations. They would die, along with all Coordinators, as soon as Blue Cosmos had power. "The Chief Representative is young and naïve, my friend, nothing like her father, she will not be difficult to sway."

"And what of this vessel?" Halberton asked, frowning at the pad in his hands, "The Archangel is one of our latest models. It was unfortunate that they docked in Heliopolis, but by doing so they have risked exposure of our plans. If Orb discovers we were carting supplies and weapons through Heliopolis, thus prompting the attack from ZAFT, they will not be so keen to bow to your wishes."

"Then the Archangel, and it's eyes and ears, must be taken care of," thoughtfully he cupped his hands beneath his chin, "As I understand it, however, they are in possession of a machine that ZAFT would very much like to get it's hands on. It seems reasonable, then, to expect that ZAFT will pursue them. It will be a simple task to block them from entering the Cobra base, just relay a command to the forces there. The Archangel is not to be allowed to dock, under any circumstances. We can leave the rest up to ZAFT."

"Are you sure?" Garcia frowned pensively, "There is a chance they could still escape...We will be risking much."

"Not to fear," Muruta simply allowed his smile to grow wider, "After all, where exactly do they have to run?"

* * *

"I know why you did it," Mu folded his arms across is chest, regarding the back of the brunette woman standing before him, her gaze deliberately focussed on the ocean displayed outside the observation deck, and away from him, "But don't you think it was a little risky? That kid was Coordinator, he could have turned on us."

"I am aware of that, Lieutenant, thank you," Murrue Ramius turned back to her second in command at last, a frown marring her normally kind features, "And I have heard quite enough questions concerning my decisions from Lieutenant Badgiruel. Yes, I understand there were risks, but what choice did I have? We would have undoubtedly been taken or destroyed otherwise, and there were refugees on board, were we supposed to allow them to die?"

"Uh, no, that wasn't what I was saying at all," Mu held up his hands in defense, having not meant to upset her, simply remind her of how awkward this position could turn, "I'm just saying that, with the way the Earth Alliance is at the moment, there is more than a little chance they could have some serious questions about your actions. I mean, they're tichy enough about Coordinators in general, without..."

"I know," the captain sighed at last, turning back to the window and clasping her hands behind her back, "And I considered that before I made that decisions, but truthfully, we did not have any other choice. We would have been slaughtered otherwise."

"I must say I am surprised ZAFT went that far," moving to stand beside her the blond man folded his arms, glaring darkly at his own reflection, "They've been on the defensive for so long now. To strike, and to strike in such a direction, it's completely unexpected."

"They've had enough, I suppose," Murrue agreed quietly, "But why Heliopolis? If they wish to make an enemy of Orb, they are going the right way about it."

"It does seem foolish," and for the life of him, he couldn't puzzle out why on earth ZAFT would be that reckless. Chairman Zala had always struck him as a more cautious figure of authority, but this was plain madness! "Especially when their position here could not be considered as entirely secure."

"How is the boy?"

The abrupt change of subject threw him for a moment, and it took a few seconds' thought to make him realize what she was talking about, "He seemed all right. I'm guessing it's not going to kick in until later."

"He took down two of them in a matter of twenty minutes," she was frowning again now, a troubled look on her face, "They truly are capable of amazing things."

"Should I resent that?" he teased her playfully, but the look she gave him was entirely sobering.

"Perhaps you should," she remarked cryptically, "After all, you are the one who is going to be fighting them."

* * *

Months of making trips from space to earth and back again had desensitized Rau Le Creuset to the beauty that so seemed to enthrall others, not that he had ever been enthralled by it, but it had once posed at least a slight amount of interest. Now, he barely spared a glance for the skyline flickering outside his window, or the tremors that the entry into the atmosphere inevitably caused, his mind on more important matters, like just how well the operation in Heliopolis had gone.

The loss of the two pilots had been something of a problem, but the knowledge of the Strike's whereabouts on the Archangel, after many weeks of trying to locate the stolen equipment, had given him the push he needed to get the Chairman to finally make a move. The foolish man did not yet see that he was not the one really in command of this war, but that suited Rau just fine, as it would not be him who received the censure should this end badly. It had been he who suggested the idea, certainly, but it was the Chairman who had sanctified it. It had not been accident that had seen the six elites assigned here, either, but his doing. Keeping them in space for this long had been a good way of ensuring they would be ready when he needed them, and now he had the perfect opportunity to use them. They were young, naïve, idealistic, and easily moulded, and it would not be hard to twist them into the weapons he required to defeat the true enemy, Patrick Zala had unknowingly gone a good way down that path already with his son, by instilling the importance of loyalty and complete obedience to the PLANTs he was readying Athrun to become the perfect killing machine, one Rau would use without remorse.

What posed more interest than all these plans coming to fruition, on the other hand, was the fact the Strike had shown up in battle to begin with. He had always intended to use it's disappearance as leverage, but he had never though it would so blatantly make itself known to the Chairman. Who could possibly be piloting such a vessel? A Coordinator, definitely, and in that case one from Orb, and very talented at that. What he wouldn't give to get his hands on a pilot of such calibre, to temper the rough steel into the sword he could use. Such a weapon would definitely be of use right now.

Twelve months this war had been at a stand still, and only now did it finally begin to move, now that Siegel's influence over the Chairman had at last began to wane. The fact the two had been friends for years had caused a great deal of strife in his plans, but nothing insurmountable, and it had taken only a little wheedling over the death of Lenore Zala, ten years ago, and the possibility that Siegel's delay of military progress could inadvertently cause the death of his son as well, fighting only in the defense, to prompt Chairman Zala to act. Athrun was proving to be a valuable tool in many ways, he would have to ensure that he remained alive to continue in that role.

It would not be so easy to manipulate things to his whims now that the war was back into full swing, battles could become unpredictable, and there was no saying how new soldiers would act put in certain situations. The rest of the Zala Team were debatably useful. Nichol Amalfi, for one, was too much of a pacifist to ever be prompted into the remorseless killer which would be necessary, but Yzak Joule, at the very least, had a sturdy dislike for Naturals that predisposed him to manipulation. Dearka Elsman shared that contempt, and his indifference as to where he went or what he did, as well as his genuine enjoyment from the adrenaline rush of battle, made him just as open to the right types of persuasion. It may be necessary to have Nichol sent elsewhere, if the child refused to die, but for now things were turning out perfectly.

Leaning back in his seat, Rau smiled as he closed his eyes, knowing full well that he was the only one truly in control now. There was no one else, not even that one man who thought he was in charge. He was the servant no longer, no, now, he was the master.


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Memories**

Kira, despite his weariness, and the fact his body had refused to sleep until only a few hours before he woke up, was the first to awaken in the morning, to one of the sweetest noises he had ever heard. Lacus was singing. Rising quietly he smoothed his rumpled clothes and left the room he was sharing with his friends, pausing in the corridor outside as he tried to locate the source of the sound. It did not take him long to realize the room was fairly close by, the door almost carelessly left open, but Andrew and Martin professionally standing guard when he approached.

"Mr. Yamato, is here, Miss Lacus." Martin announced grandly when he spied the younger Coordinator approaching.

"Oh," Lacus stopped singing at once, rising as she came to the door, though Kira did not fail to notice she had carefully restrained Haro before adding, "Let him in. You two should go take a break, I shall be fine for the moment."

Andrew looked dubious, but the two obediently left the youngsters alone without further comment, their voices, lowered and yet echoing amusement, fading down the corridor.

"Well, Mr. Yamato," Lacus smiled again the moment they had gone, gesturing with her hand towards the room, "Won't you come in?"

_She has a nice smile_. Kira mentally slapped himself as he stepped within the room, what was he thinking? _She's Athrun's fiancee, idiot! Are you completely out of your mind?_

"Um, Mr. Yamato, are you okay?" Lacus glanced up at him anxiously, clearly reading the emotions going through his mind on his face, her concern readily apparent.

Kira found himself flushing yet again, something that was becoming an almost permanent state of being whenever he was around the famous singer, "Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"Oh," She walked back across to her neatly made bunk, seating herself with a single graceful movement, then patting the space on the bed beside her. Kira did not think twice before he obediently sat down, not knowing he was mimicking Athrun's actions from about a month before, "Now, why did you want to see me?"

"I...uh...well..." _Why did I want to see her? _Kira couldn't explain it, her presence felt so comforting, so _right_. _Just like Athrun's. _And that thought caused him more pain than he could have imagined, because if anything, Athrun's presence in Heliopolis has certainly _not_ felt right!

"Mr. Yamato, it really is frightening when you stare of into space like that."

"Oh, I'm sorry," He gasped in dismay, turning back to face her as he mumbled, "I was...thinking again."

"Mind sharing your thoughts with me?" It was such an honestly asked request, as genuine as the light smile playing across her delicate lips, and he wondered again how it was she made him feel so comfortable, so at ease, and if she had that affect on everybody.

"Well, I was thinking," he began timidly, "How did you become Athrun's fiancee?"

"Oh," She seemed slightly surprised by the question, clearly unsure of why he should ask it, but answered anyway, "Well, like I told you before, our parents were good friends, and father and the Mr. Zala thought it would be a good thing if the peace committee and the defense committee were linked in some way, so they decided on marriage."

"And...you're okay with that?" He found the idea hard to reconcile, though he had known the PLANTs were heavily regulated, and that to them maintaining the peace was very important, it seemed slightly over the top to use such a thing as a marriage to unite two different factions in the government. In reality, both Lacus and Athrun were being used, and he wondered how she could speak of it so calmly.

"Should I not be?" She looked at him questioningly, and he gave a start when she proceeded, realizing she had taken his comment in an entirely different way than it was meant, "Athrun's a nice, kind person, if a little quiet, and I am fortunate indeed to be his friend. It seems a rare thing these days, to find a friend who is truly loyal, and willing to see past their own desires to what is best for you."

"Yeah, it is," Kira scowled at his feet, wondering if that was the type of friendship he shared with his friend now, or whether it had been demolished by the years they had spent apart. He had thought he knew Athrun, but he had never expected his friend to join the military, not Athrun, who did not condone warfare or fighting at all. And yet he had, and not only that but he had then partaken in an attack against a neutral nation, against innocents. For someone as thoughtful and peaceful as his friend to do such a thing, well, it was immoral, and he could not see how Athrun could even have consented to take part. "Very rare."

"He spoke often of you, you know," she was looking at him sidelong now, an undefinable expression in her eyes, "He wanted to visit you, to see how the 'Dreamer' was doing," Kira smiled at the old nickname, but made sure to focus on what else she had to say, "But, after Mrs. Zala died, he didn't get a choice in much of what he did. Chairman Zala is a hard task master, and a demanding parent. Sometimes I wonder if he fails to realize what a special gift he has, even if he _is_ a little socially challenged."

"Socially challenged?" Kira sensed there was a story behind that statement, and could not resist pushing for it.

"Yes," Lacus expression was more of an amused tilt of lips than a true smile, " You know I couldn't get more then monosyllables out of him on our first date."

Kira chuckled at the mental image, "I can easily imagine that."

Lacus smiled sadly at the memory, "Since then, things have changed. We can have normal conversations now, so long as the subject doesn't swing around to family. That's one thing I try to touch on a bare minimum."

"Why?" Kira couldn't help but ask, although inwardly he wondered if she thought he was nosy. Was prying about events in the life of his best friend being nosy? She screwed up her nose pensively, and he could not help but note it was adorable. _Alright, Kira, get a grip. You have to stop this!_

"Well, because whenever I mention it he won't talk for the next hour or so."

"Oh," Kira paused, searching for something else to say, aware that her expression had saddened again, he wisely changed the subject, "How did you get into singing, by the way?"

"Singing?" she smiled fondly, "Well, that was the work of my father. I used to sing all the time when I was little, and he got me a gig at a little theatre called the White Symphony."

"That's a nice name."

"After that things just went from one step to another on it's own, father and Athrun were very supportive, and I discovered my voice had a lot of influence in the PLANTs, so I decided to use that influence to promote peace as much as possible."

"A very honorable career choice," Kira said in admiration at how determined she was, "Have you been successful?"

She dropped her eyes to the floor, her hand tightening about the small, pink ball in her lap. _Good job, Kira, now you've upset her!_

"The war hasn't finished yet, has it?" She replied softly, "Until that day comes, I will not have been successful."

"I see," Kira paused, before deciding to try and rectify his mistake, "I think you're an admiral role model."

"Really?"

She looked at him with a smile playing on her lips, and Kira continued earnestly. "Really." He nodded to add emphasis to his words, "And if I was the PLANTs or the Earth Forces I would throw down my weapons right now."

She giggled softly, giving him a look of unconcealed amusement, "Some people would call you an idiot, you know that, right?"

Kira shrugged, now feeling perfectly at ease, "My friends tell me that all the time, why should I care if a stranger does?"

She chuckled again, before replying thoughtfully, "I guess you're right, though that was always one of my greatest fears, that people would laugh at me, not take me seriously." She frowned, "I was fourteen when I first performed live, and was I scared! I had stage fright badly, and you know what Athrun told me?"

"What?" There was definitely a story to be had here, and Kira waited eagerly for her to continue.

"He said 'I won't laugh, who cares about everyone else?" Lacus now had a playful scowl on her face, "I mean, honestly, how reassuring was that? I kept on picturing everyone laughing their heads off as soon as I stepped on the stage. Kira! Stop laughing!"

"S-sorry," Kira stammered wiping the tears from his eyes, then he suddenly straightened, "You called me Kira!"

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

"No," he answered quickly, "I like that better than 'Mr. Yamato.'"

"Okay then, _Kira_, as my revenge for your careless outburst you have to tell me something embarrassing about your life."

"Oh," He looked perturbed, and Lacus' face was instantly concerned.

"What's wrong?"

He grinned mischievously, already planning his come back,"There's so much to choose from!"She laughed aloud then, and to his ears it sounded like sweet bells ringing in the air.

Determined to make her laugh again he paused for a moment in thought, then said, "Well, there was the one time, when I was still on the lunar colony, and we went to get ice cream." He paused, smiling brightly at the memory, "I wanted to get a double cone, Athrun told me I was greedy, he refused to have any, I never really could fathom how anyone couldn't like sweets. Anyway, I got my double cone, vanilla, with chocolate sauce. Absolutely whizz, but rather dangerous."

How so?" she was watching him in expectancy now, and with a casual grin Kira continued.

"On the way home, I discovered that danger," He was beginning to chuckle, "It began to rain. I was doing something else Athrun had told me not to do, run on wet footpath, and I slipped and fell face down, right outside the Zala residence, as it turned out. And, not only that, but I succeeded in leaving a 'Kira's Face' shaped imprint in my ice cream," He was having trouble speaking now, "So there I was, my face covered in chocolate syrup and vanilla ice cream, when this guy with grey hair comes up and says, 'Athrun, what is the meaning of this?', and he replied. Oh! I'll _never_ forgive him for this, 'Father, this is my friend, Kira Yamato."

Kira doubled over in helpless laughter, "I-I couldn't believe the look on his father's face, and the way Athrun said it didn't help one bit! He said it like it wasn't unusual at all for me to be covered in ice cream! His father, who I think was having a mental fit, merely said 'I see', and walked back inside."

Lacus was laughing along with him, but she sobered so suddenly he began to prepare to apologize, thinking he had offended her in some way, though she spoke before he even had a chance to fully formulate the words, "At least Patrick Zala had a sense of humor back then." she said sadly, "Did you ever meet Athrun's mother?"

"Yes, I did," Kira said, gradually calming down, "She, well, she was hard to explain. She was like Athrun, but far more open."

"Miss Lacus." Lacus' response was forestalled when their conversation was interrupted by the return of Andrew and Martin, who, having given them half an hour together, had clearly decided it was time to interrupt the heart to heart exchange.

"Hello, gentlemen," She smiled brightly up at them, not at all abashed at their sudden appearance, "See, Mr. Yamato has not maimed me."

"So I see," Andrew answered, obviously amused with Kira's sudden discomfort, knowing it to be caused by their presence, "Even so, I think it would be best if he departed now, his friends must be worried."

"Of course, how rude of me to keep you here!" She gasped, beginning to shoo him, "You must go at once!"

Kira immediately got to his feet, replying in a slightly flustered manner, "Uh, sure. Thanks for speaking with me, Miss Clyne."

She smiled, one of those stunners, "My pleasure."

Kira nodded and swiftly left, but as he passed out of the room he could not help but wonder if the look on Andrew's face was a grimace of disgust, or an attempt not to laugh.

* * *

"The Archangel will most definitely be making for the nearest Port, so all we have to do is cut them off." Rau Le Creuset stated calmly to his four new lackeys, in a monotone, almost bored, voice. It was no surprise to Athrun, he was well used to the tone by now, but Nichol looked slightly taken aback, and if the scowl on Yzak's face was any indication, he was slightly annoyed at being almost completely ignored as well.

"Cut them off, sir?" he queried, frowning as he surveyed the map before them, bright blue eyes narrowed, "Won't that be hard? They _are_ in Earth Territory after all, not to mention they have one hell of a lead."

The Commander only smiled mysteriously, "Don't worry, Yzak, we _will_ catch them. In the mean time I would like the four of you to remain in your rooms, we shall need you fully rested for the battle coming. So far as we can tell they have not sent a request for reinforcements, but there is a possibility they could do so, therefore, we will all need to be on our toes. Dismissed."

The four soldiers now under his command obediently turned and prepared to leave the room, but as soon as they had moved the Commander spoke again.

"Captain Zala, I would have a word."

Athrun paused in surprise, but before any of the others could speak the door had closed between them and him, leaving him in the room alone with Le Creuset.

"Yes, Commander?" Approaching the briefing table Athrun waited tensely, expecting some word from his father, or perhaps even the question of how he had handled the situation in Heliopolis, anything, in fact, except what was actually asked.

"What is your opinion of the pilot of the Gundam Strike?"

"Commander?" Athrun could not conceal his surprise, and beneath his mask Rau smiled slightly, gesturing towards the console at which he had been sitting when the team were first summoned, reviewing the data of their battles.

"You must have come to the same conclusion as I have, as your report itself states, Captain," his response was calmly stated, "That was no Natural flying the machine."

"I agree, Commander," Athrun nodded, more certain of himself now that he knew of what the Commander was speaking, "The pilot showed exceptional skill. However, Nichol was also certain whoever flew the Strike had little experience with a Gundam, many of his movements were erratic, and nothing a trained pilot would ever be likely to attempt. It is possible one of the citizens from Heliopolis ended up aboard the vessel."

"But you agree that whoever was flying it must have had some training, at the very least?"

"He must have known how to fly, Commander."

"Obviously," Rau smiled, turning and walking back to the console, where he seated himself, studying the screen, rather than Athrun, as he spoke, "Perhaps it would be wise to review the records of citizens within Heliopolis. A pilot of such considerable skill can hardly have gone unacknowledged. If we can discover a little of this pilot's background, we may be able to press an advantage."

"Isn't it risky to chase after an Earth Alliance ship in their own territory?" Athrun spoke at last, trying to ignore the fact that what Rau proposed could very easily lead to the one thing he had been trying not to acknowledge, "I know the Vesalius is a fast and capable ship, but..."

"That is no longer your concern, Captain," Rau's tone was once more dismissive, and Athrun could not help the image of what Yzak's reaction to that would have been had he still been present, "You may go now, I am sure you are in much as need of rest as the others."

"Y'sir." Athrun saluted, though the gesture went unnoticed, before exiting the room quietly.

* * *

Nichol was not really surprised that the moment they were outside Yzak spoke freely, his voice rich with contempt, and no small mount of spite, "Humph! It's about time this team got assigned a _real_ commander."

Nichol flashed him a half hearted glare, but as Yzak had waited until Athrun was no longer present, he let the matter lie. His resentment over Athrun's appointment as captain had yet to cease sizzling, but so long as he made such comments only in private, Nichol supposed it could not really hurt.

"I'm not sure," Dearka responded calmly, "This Commander guy gives me the creeps, and what's with that mask?"

"A lot of people sustained injuries during the first months of the war, and ever afterwards," Yzak pointed out bluntly, "Don't be stupid, he wouldn't be the first to try and cover a scar."

"If you say so," Dearka simply shrugged, "Though, personally, I reckon a well placed scar attracts the ladies. In any case, you can discuss the chap as much as you like, but I'm going to do as he said and hit the sack."

Yzak glared at him, but didn't say anything, instead he simply followed the blond boy into their shared room. Nichol and Athrun's room was a little further on, and so the green haired Coordinator continued alone, pausing only once he had reached the door, and leaning against the frame as he waited. He did not know what the Commander had wanted his captain for, but he was sure Athrun could not be long, and he was hoping to have a good conversation with his friend before they were sent into battle again. Athrun hadn't been himself lately, though he doubted Yzak and Dearka had noticed, or had seen much more beyond his grief at losing two comrades. But, Nichol was sure there was more to it than that, and when the blue haired boy came walking slowly down the corridor, barely aware of his surroundings, his doubts were only reaffirmed.

Stepping forward he spoke hesitantly, aware that the other had not so much as acknowledged him yet, "Athrun?"

"Hmm?"

It wasn't much of a response, but it was better than nothing, he supposed,"Aren't you coming in?"

Athrun jumped guiltily, blinking as though he hadn't even realized he had reached their room, which was likely, given that he had not noticed Nichol either. But the break in his composure did not last long, and before Nichol could even begin to think about how to approach the issue Athrun had stepped past him. Not even bothering to change into his night clothes he merely hopped into his bed and shut the privacy curtain tightly, effectively locking Nichol out. The green haired boy stared at the closed curtain in surprise for a moment, feeling slightly hurt, then shrugged it off, and crawled into his own bed.

There was always tomorrow, after all, Athrun couldn't hide forever.

* * *

Athrun knew he would have to apologize to Nichol later, after all, he had just lost Rusty, one of his best friends, but right now he had too much on his mind to talk with anyone. For starters, he was worried sick about Lacus, if she had been in Heliopolis like Kira said then there should have been a ZAFT shuttle somewhere, but there had been none. That either meant Kira was lying, _doubtful_, or that the shuttle had been destroyed, or left earlier than expected. If the shuttle _had_ been destroyed that left the question of whether Lacus had been on board or not, and if she _hadn't _been on board, where the hell had she got to?

The other thing troubling him was Kira, he knew the other boy had run in the direction of the enemy warship, and, as the Commander had so bluntly stated, that had definitely been no Natural piloting the thing, but that did not necessarily mean that Kira was the pilot, right? Kira had always been adverse to fighting in any way and Athrun could not see him hopping in a mobile suit and mercilessly killing two pilots without a second's thought. Of course, he might have done it under prompting, and the destruction of those two suits had possibly not registered as actually _killing_ anyone yet, he may have just seen a robot and shot it down, that simple. Kira always had been a little dense.

But, the thing troubling him the most was that he had the answers to none of these questions, it was always there in his mind, a chiding voice telling him he never had the answers to the questions. It was always one of the commanders, or his father, or any of the senior personnel who had the answers, and he just relayed them to his team. It was what a soldier was supposed to do, right? Take orders and give orders as instructed without question, at least, that was how he had understood the conversation.

"_Don't think, Captain, it's not your job to think. That is reserved for people like myself and the other people who plan these operations. In war, soldiers do as they are told, and it is the committee who decides when and where the blows will fall."_

But his lack of thinking had possibly got Lacus killed, he had never even considered the possibility she would still be in Heliopolis. Surely the committee would never make such a mistake? Kira must have been wrong, she couldn't have been there. Siegel Clyne would have a fit if he discovered the Chairman had authorized an attack on a city his daughter was performing at. In fact, he would probably have a fit anyway,seeing as the city was protected by it's neutral treaty.

Sighing heavily he shook his head in an attempt to clear it, thoughts running around in circles were not going to get him anywhere. He had no option but to wait, and see what happened next, before evaluating the situation, from a _soldier's_ point of view.

* * *

"There he is!" Tolle waved across the dining hall to Kira, a cheerful grin already present on his face. Seeing them there, happy and _safe_, did but a little to allay the feelings weighing on Kira's mind now. Only a little, but it had to be enough. "Hey, how did the date go?"

"For the last time, it WAS NOT A DATE!" Kira seethed through clenched teeth, unable to quite believe Tolle had still not let this drop.

"Sure," Mirriallia giggled in disbelieving tones, "Anyhow, what do you want for tea/breakfast?"

"I don't know, what's on offer?" Kira asked, sitting down amongst his friends, happy that the subject had changed, for the moment, at least.

"Not much." Sai pushed a tray carrying certain artificially produced products across the table, "But take your pick."

"How long until we make port, do you know?" Kira asked, his mouth already half full of food. He had not realized how positively _starving_ he was until he had smelt the stuff, no matter how unappetizing it happened to be.

"About an hour," Tolle stretched and yawned, "I'm not going to lie, I can't wait to get off this ship!"

"Me too," Flay nodded, "I only have one pair of clothes, and they are covered in ash! It's really uncomfortable!"

"I'm sure the crew members could lend you something if you asked." Sai suggested, but Flay only huffed indignantly, looking unduly affronted.

"Their uniforms are so out of fashion it isn't funny!"

"Suit yourself," Mirriallia shrugged, and Kira now realized she was wearing an Earth Forces skirt and a plain white shirt, it looked far more comfortable then Flay's pink dress, which was covered in ash, but he knew the red head well enough to know she would never consent to wearing anything she did not consider 'suitable'. "Anyway, Kira, you never told us you could pilot a mobile suit. I know you were taking the piloting class every Friday, but that was air planes, not those monsters!'

"I'm as surprised as you are!" Kira admitted honestly, "It just sort of came naturally, it's hard to explain. In any case, at least we got away alive, right? Even if I did have to fly a 'monster'."

"Yeah, but that was wicked," Tolle insisted, waving his hand's in a dramatic gesture, "You shot two ZAFT ships down, Kira! Two of the guys who attacked Heliopolis! At least they won't be causing any more trouble."

Kira stood up suddenly, surprising all his friends as he spoke quickly, "Excuse me."

He knew the foursome exchanged looks behind his back, and the initial conversation that started up as he left the room reached his ears as well.

"What's wrong?" Sai asked in confusion.

"Beats me," he could just imagine Tolle's shrug, "But does this mean I can have his breakfast?"

By the yelp he gave afterwards that had earned him a slap, but Kira heard no more as he departed from the Cafeteria, walking aimlessly down the corridors of the Archangel, not really caring if he was treading territory he shouldn't be. His feet led him towards the hangar bay, and he soon found himself standing face to feet with the Strike. Slowly, he raised his gaze up to machine's head and almost human features, yet he knew the seemingly innocent object had some very inhumane appliances.

_'...At least they won't be causing anymore trouble."_

"Hey, kid, are you alright?" Kira looked up into Mu's smiling face, and instantly felt more at ease. The man, despite being at least twenty-five, had an impish air about him, and it recommended him to the younger pilot, even if he was not going to answer that question truthfully.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Look," Mu laid a friendly hand on his shoulder, obviously guessing what was troubling the youth, despite his attempt at a fib, "I know it is not always easy to take down your first ship, but those guys destroyed Heliopolis, and they would have destroyed us if you hadn't stopped them."

"I know," Kira answered doubtfully, resisting an urge to squirm and pull away. What Mu was saying was right, but it didn't change the fact that he had..."But, I still killed two people. Is that right?"

"Think about all the people you _saved_," Mu answered without hesitation, "Your friends, this crew, even Miss Clyne. Would it have been better to let them all die?"

"...No." He hadn't wanted his friends to die, and he didn't want them to now, but that didn't make it any easier.

"Right," the Lieutenant stated firmly, giving Kira's shoulder a firm squeeze, "You did the best thing you could, kid, don't worry about it. You should be very proud of what you've accomplished. Which reminds me, what's your name?"

"Kira, Kira Yamato."

"You're a Coordinator, aren't you?"

"Yeah?" Kira answered somewhat uncertainly, the question completely out of the blue, yet not wholly unexpected.

"Well, you did a good job. So, thanks."

"You're...Welcome?" Kira replied in astonishment, making Mu chuckle, but before he had a chance to further conversation between them they were joined by a woman with long brown locks whom Kira recognized to be the captain, and another woman with short black hair who was wearing an officer's uniform as well. He supposed she must have been the combat Lieutenant, she certainly had the stern air for such a role.

"Hi," The captain offered her hand, a kind smile lightening the grim look in her hazel eyes, "My name is Murrue Ramius, I must say we are very grateful for your acts in protecting this vessel. This is the Combat Lieutenant, Natarle Badgiruel, and I take it you've already met Lieutenant La Flaga?"

"Um, yeah." Kira gulped, nervously shaking her proffered hand, well aware of the disapproving gaze of the other woman.

"Well, thank you for everything, if you need something, just let me know okay?" Murrue smiled warmly, then turned to Mu, "We have trouble."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest as he waited, clearly expecting to be told the issue right then and there.

"I'd prefer it if we discussed this on the bridge." Natarle interrupted, before Murrue could elaborate, a cold eye on Kira.

"Right," Mu grinned, clearly knowing he had annoyed the other woman, then turned to Kira, "Later, kid, don't forget what I said."

"I won't, thanks." Kira nodded, watching the three adults walk away. Only once they were gone did he then turn back to the Strike, with a little less distaste then before, speaking aloud to it.

"You guys cause a lot of trouble you know."

Smiling slightly at his own foolishness he gave his shoulders a brief shrug, then turned and wandered back towards the dining lounge, where he supposed his friends would still be. In fact they were not there, and he was forced to instigate a search. They were not in their rooms either, and he finally found them in one of the recreation rooms discussing some frivolous matter with none other than Lacus Clyne herself, who smiled warmly at his approach.

"Oh, hello, Kira, want to join us?"

"Sure." Kira sat down beside Tolle, only to have the other boy whisper in his ear, the subject so expected by now he was hardly taken by surprise.

"Hey, she called you _Kira_!"

"Shut it!" Kira pushed him away, trying to figure out what Lacus and the two girls were giggling about, when the ship gave a sudden lurch, sending them all sprawling in different directions. Kira was more then slightly embarrassed to find he had landed directly on top of Lacus, and immediately rose, gabbling some apology so fast even _he_ didn't know what it was. Andrew and Martin rushed in a moment later, both alert, and equally urgent.

"Miss Lacus, we must leave at once! The captain has agreed to give us a life pod."

"Leave, why?" Lacus asked in concern, for the moment completely ignoring Kira's flabbergasted attempts to help her up.

"Because," Martin jumped in, "This ship is under attack."

"Attack?" Flay gasped in panic, "By whom?"

"Who else?" Andrew stated grimly, "ZAFT."


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Nowhere Left To Run**

"By ZAFT!" Kira gasped, on his feet in a second, the happiness of a moment before quickly banished.

"Isn't this Earth Alliance Territory?" Mirriallia paled, her hand seeking Tolle's in an unconscious gesture for comfort, "They shouldn't be able to get us in here, right?"

"How did they get in?" Sai demanded, "I thought there were forces on the border!"

"Please, calm yourselves!" Lacus interrupted calmly, continuing quietly when everyone turned to her, "Panic will get us nowhere. Now, Mr Waltfield, what's this about a life pod? Why should I leave?"

"But, Miss Lacus...?" Martin began, only to be shushed by the young lady.

"If I leave in a life pod I will only be making myself a target, it is safer to remain here. Besides, we are not that far from the Cobra Port, the Alliance will send reinforcements, and ZAFT will be forced to retreat."

"Makes sense," Andrew nodded slowly, giving in to his mistress' wishes, "Well, you're the boss, Miss Lacus."

"So I am. Now, which ZAFT ship is it?"

"We don't know, ma'am," Martin answered, frowning, but giving no further argument, "It's a new model, only recently released. I don't even think it has had a launching ceremony yet."

"I see," Lacus thought a moment, "Do you suppose it was one of the vessels that attacked Heliopolis?"

"It's a possibility." Andrew shrugged, "Does it matter?"

"But, why are they chasing this ship in the first place?" Kira wondered aloud, "What have we done?"

"Most likely because of the Strike." Mu had entered the room unnoticed, ignoring the start given by several of the occupants of the room as he proceeded briskly, "I suggest you kids make your way back to your rooms and strap yourselves in. This is going to get rough."

"We'll be in Cobra soon, right?" Tolle interrupted, watching the Lieutenant earnestly, "They'll send help."

Mu shook his head, his expression grim, "No, we're being jammed."

"Jammed!" Andrew gasped, "From one ship? How do they have the strength to jam the radars of Cobra?"

"We don't know, but I have to launch now, and kid?"

"What?" Kira asked tentatively, already dreading what he knew was inevitable.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be on stand by, just in case. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Kira assured him, putting a lot more confidence into his words than he felt, "I understand."

Mu nodded and then left, Kira giving his friends his most reassuring wave, before following the lieutenant's lead. After all, his friends were still on this ship, and he would do what he had to to protect them.

* * *

"Surround the ship in pairs," Rau briefed his team, "Zala and Elsman will take the starboard and rear of the ship, Joule and Amalfi, you two will take the port and front. Beware of the close range laser cannons, they will be your most threatening assailant. The Vesalius will engage the Archangel from a distance, and maintain that distance, it will be up to you to inflict enough damage to board. Once inside your top and only priority will be to capture or destroy the Strike.

However, there is still the possibility they will launch in the machine, if that is the case you will disengage the Archangel immediately and converge on the Strike as a team. The pilot has already shown significant skill, so we shall take as few risks as possible. I am not sure if they have completed the repairs on La Flaga's Zero, but if they have you will have an additional element to deal with. I trust your experience as a team will allow you to overcome this problem on your own. If things look bad I will launch in the Providence and take on La Flaga myself, leaving you four free to take out the Strike.

If we fail to capture or destroy the target our next priority is to head the ship away from the Cobra Base and chase them back towards Heliopolis. As an Earth Forces vessel it is highly unlikely they will try to enter Orb's Capital, so they will have nowhere to run. Do you understand?"

"Y,sir!" The foursome chorused, saluting at the same time.

"Excellent. Prepare to launch," Rau smiled slightly, "We are engaging the enemy in five minutes."

* * *

"Shit, four of them!" Mu gaped as the Zero dodged a laser blast from the Vesalius, "Captain, I think you're going to have to launch the kid!"

"Understood, Kira, stand by for launch!" Murrue took command of the situation, not even blinking an eye at the danger about them, "There are four mobile suits in the vicinity, the Aegis, the Blitz, the Buster, and the Duel. Mu is currently engaging all four, try and draw at least one of them away. Beware of blasts from the Vesalius."

"Uh, sure." Kira muttered, feeling more then a little overwhelmed as he activated the Strike's systems, before following the Lieutenant's lead and launching into air space above the ocean. Outside the battle was complete havoc, Mu's Zero could barely be seen for the four suits surrounding it, and on top of that there was the added element of the enemy ship. At Heliopolis Kira had only had to concern himself with the mobile suits, which made this battle that much more difficult. Clenching his teeth hard he swiftly activated the targeting system on his machine, watching in grim silence as one by one his enemies appeared within the radar's scope.

_Draw them away. Kira_ reminded himself, with absolutely no notion of how he was going to do it, but to his surprise there was no need. As soon as the Strike appeared on the battlefield the four acted as if the Zero didn't even exist, and sped towards the Strike as a whole, with speed that took him entirely by surprise.

"AARGH!" Kira shot downwards, brushing along the water's surface before shooting upwards again, and doubling back, the action was designed to throw the enemy off his tail and get them face to face. It appeared to have worked, for the Aegis, the Buster, and the Duel were all arranged in front of him now, however, the Blitz appeared to have vanished. That troubled him, but with very little he was able to do about it he had to hope the Zero had engaged the fourth vessel.

"Alright," Kira swiftly brought all his attention to focus on the targeting sensors, whilst keeping a careful watch on the movement of his opponents. To his confusion they didn't seem interested in doing anything but cutting off his escape to the Archangel. A short way behind them Kira could see Mu engaged in battle with a white suit, but he had no time to think on that as something hit the Strike from behind at high speed. Had it not been for the radar's last minute warning Kira would have been toast, luckily he managed to boost upwards at the last minute, so that the Blitz' blast only grazed the side of his machine.

"Where did he come from!" Kira demanded of the radar, but since no reply was likely to be forthcoming he turned his attention to the two mobile suits now headed his way, the Aegis and the Blitz. They swooped in from opposite sides, whilst the Buster and the Duel came in from above and below. Realizing he could not escape this trap Kira drew the Strike's sword and ruthlessly batted the Blitz aside, sending it spiraling downwards towards the ocean floor, before turning his attention back to the others.

* * *

Managing to stabilize himself at the last moment before he would have struck water Nichol looked worriedly around the cockpit of the Blitz, wincing as he saw the numerous flashing red signals visible on the console. In his experience one red signal was bad enough, and there had to be at least ten going off now. _Blast._

"Damage report?" Athrun requested anxiously.

"Most of my systems are down," Nichol replied in frustration, "But, I still have some power in the auxiliary battery."

"Forget it," Athrun's answer was instant and predictable, "You can't fight on the auxiliary, get back to the ship, we'll handle things here."

"Roger."

Nichol obediently swooped away, and the three remaining suits converged more cautiously on their adversary, caging him slowly.

"We need to make the Strike use up it's power source," Dearka suggested, having learned from his own experience, "It's a powerful machine, perhaps even more so than the Aegis, so we need to outsmart the pilot, rather than overpower."

"Wow, that's a good idea coming from you," Yzak sneered, "How are we supposed to do that?"

"Tease him," Athrun responded at once, "Irritate. If we can capture the Strike undamaged it will be worth more to us than a pile of smoldering metal."

"Fine, I'll go first."

Drawing the Duel's blade Yzak descended on the Strike from above, but the pilot brought out his own sword as soon as he saw the attack coming and there was a loud clash of metal on metal as the two swords locked together. Yzak then drew back again, and did the same thing, only this time his move was anticipated. Anticipated, and outmatched. Athrun saw the Strike move at the last minute. The subtle maneuver caused the blades to meet on a strange angle, and with a quick upwards movement the Strike's pilot had sent the Duel's blade flying, before following it up by ramming the Strike's shield in the other suit's face.

"Gah!" Yzak cried, fighting to right himself, "You'll pay for that, you twerp!"

"Looks like that plan is out," Dearka sighed, giving his head a slight shake, "He's just too good."

"Play time is over, then," Athrun responded grimly, drawing the Aegis' close combat weaponry, "In sync, okay?"

"Got it!" Dearka copied the action, and with surprising speed the two suits raced towards the Strike.

* * *

"Crap!" Kira blocked the Aegis' blow and tossed it off, moving just in time to make Dearka's sword glance off his own, but by this time the Aegis had already returned full force, backed up by the Duel, which had dived below the ocean to retrieve it's own weapon.

"Not good!" Kira gasped, as he fought to keep his shield up and fight off the hail of blows coming his way, it was with relief that he heard Mu's voice crackling through the com line.

"Hang on, kid, I'm on my way!"

With nothing else to do but wait, Kira could only think of one response.

"Hurry!"

* * *

"The Commander brought it!" Yzak gasped in surprise, "He's retreating!"

"Revert to plan B, then." Dearka shouted.

The trio pulled back as the Zero and the Strike swiftly launched an offensive together, chasing after the retreating suits, which fled further and further from the Archangel.

"Alright, that's far enough, it's up to Nichol now!" Athrun ordered.

Turning, the trio shot past the surprised pilots at top speed, heading straight back for the Archangel, which now stood undefended. The panic of the two pilots was evident in their quick turnabout and preparation to follow the other three, but Nichol was faster.

"I don't think so!" Disengaging the Blitz's mirage colloid he suddenly materialized out of nowhere in front of them. The Blitz had only just been repaired, and it's batteries were running at full, so Nichol was confident he had the advantage. All he had to do was hold them here, whilst Athrun and the others took care of the rest.

* * *

"Three mobile suits approaching from the starboard side!" The warning was shouted on the bridge, "They are coming in fast!"

"Evade! Swing to port!" Murrue shouted, half rising out of her seat.

Obediently the ship's pilot swung the Archangel to the left, sending anybody unsecured sprawling, and the captain back into her chair.

"They've cut off the route to Cobra, ma'am!" The radar personnel announced, "Wait! Cobra has answered! They say...Wait, _what_?"

"What is it?" Murrue asked impatiently.

"They refuse us entrance!" The man gasped, "'Due to the current situation we cannot allow you to enter Cobra, your ship was present at Heliopolis and as of that incident is under suspicion for taking part in the attack!' This is ridiculous!"

"What are our options?" Murrue asked, her voice strangely calm, though anyone who knew her well could see the telltale tautness around her eyes and mouth.

"Well, even if Cobra was going to let us in those mobile suits have blocked our way. The ZAFT carrier is blocking the route to open water, our only options are Heliopolis, or Orb's Capital."

"We cannot go back to Heliopolis," Murrue answered firmly, giving her head a shake as she continued, "So send an SOS to Orb."

"To Orb!" Natarle interrupted, leaping out of her seat, "They'll never accept!"

"We don't have much of a choice," Murrue interrupted, "Arnold," she turned to the man on radar, "Tell them we have refugees from Heliopolis on board, give them a list of the victims names! Hurry!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" Arnold's hands began to fly across the keypad, whilst the captain turned to the pilot,

"Turn us south, full speed. We're headed for Orb."

* * *

"Alright," Rau's voice came across the line, "So long as they maintain a course heading for Heliopolis do not attack, the Strike and the Zero will both run out of power shortly, so Nichol you may disengage and join the others. Keep a fair distance, stay out of the range of their cannons, but stay close enough that they know we mean business."

"Understood."

Rau watched the screen with satisfaction, his soft murmur too low for anyone else to hear, "It is one thing to destroy the Earth Forces latest war ship," he smirked, "It is another thing entirely to capture it for ZAFT."

* * *

The blond haired girl was only eighteen, yet she held the highest rank her country could offer, and knew well the responsibilities she shouldered in that role. As Chief Representative of Orb she had more duties then she could count, more obligations than any other person she knew, yet she could describe them all with one word; 'BORING'.

Right now she was in the middle of some dumb meeting between the other members of cabinet about what they should do about rising prices due to the war. She hated them for it, Heliopolis was in trouble, and yet they had not yet made any moves to address that issue, saying merely that it had to take it's rightful place on the agenda. As soon as anyone who had escaped arrived to give a statement they would be able to investigate fully, but until then they could not make guesses.

_Are they completely and totally blind! Patrick Zala ANNOUNCED he was going to do this!Who else do they think was responsible? I wish father was here, he would tell them exactly what they SHOULD be doing!_

Lost in thought she sighed heavily, and tried hard not to grimace at the conversation going on between her senior council members. Despite the fact she was fully qualified for this task they had not taken her seriously, and tried to use her only as a public figurehead. Ever since her father had died by assassin fire Orb's once good government had slowly been crumbling into a bunch of doddling old men who were more worried about how much it cost them to get their clothes laundered than what happened to one of their cities. Smirking slightly at the thought Caggallie hid a smile, but before her train of thought could get any further it was interrupted by a bulky, dark skinned man who entered the room and bowed, then addressed her formally.

"Representative Attha, there is an issue which requires your immediate attention. I am sorry to interrupt this important meeting, but you must come at once."

Smiling to herself Caggallie got up and followed, Kisaki knew perfectly well she didn't want to be there, and as soon as they stepped outside of the crusty meeting place she breathed a sigh of relief, then began to interrogate her guard.

"Well, Kisaki, what is it? I know, much and all as I hate those meetings, that you are not a sympathetic individual who would come to a damsel's aid."

"We have received a distress signal from a vessel that is registered as Earth Forces' property," Kisaki explained, ignoring the latter part of her comment, only half jest, "They claim to have been at Heliopolis and also to be carrying a number of refugees rescued from there. They were headed for Cobra but pursuit by ZAFT has forced them to seek our aid. If we refuse them they will be made to flee to Heliopolis, where the ship, and everyone on it, will be captured by ZAFT."

Caggallie straightened, immediately interested, "Did they send us a list of refugees?"

"They did." Kisaki handed her a sheet of paper filled with names.

Automatically she ran a quick eye down it,then gasped, "Kira Yamato!"

"You know him?" Kisaki asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"I should think so!" Caggallie frowned, "He's my twin! But, don't ask me about it now, send them a message, tell them that due to the fact they are carrying citizens of our nation we will make an exception and allow them to enter port. Okay?"

"Alright," Kisaki nodded, accepting her decision without question and hurrying on his way. Caggallie looked down at the paper in her hand, and smiled, her first genuine smile since her best friend, Ahmed, had died, leaving her alone in the world to fend for herself.

"Well, well, Kira, it's been quite a while."

* * *

"What's the status?" Mu asked, stepping onto the bridge, with Kira close behind. He had no idea if he was supposed to be here or not, but it had seemed like the best place to go, and with no other orders he had followed that instinct.

"ZAFT seems content just to watch us at the moment," Murrue sighed wearily, "We have sent to Orb for shelter, but they haven't responded yet."

"To Orb?" Mu asked dubiously, "Do you really think they'll help us?"

'We are carrying refugees from that country," Murrue pointed out, "They cannot fail to realize if they refuse us they will be sentencing their own citizens to imprisonment. Everyone who made it to the shelters in Heliopolis is now under ZAFT's rule, and they will most likely be shipped to military bases as slave workers. I'm sure the Representative will understand this, it is our last hope."

"Orb?" Kira tried to keep his expression blank, but by the odd looks sent his way he was sure he had not succeeded, "Did you send them a list of everyone you have on board?"

"Yes, why?" Murrue asked curiously.

"No reason!" Kira grinned lopsidedly, "But I'm sure it'll work out."

The officers gave him a queer look, but they were interrupted by Arnold's excited exclamation, "Orb accepts!"

"Thank goodness!" Murrue heaved a sigh of relief, before reverting back to giving orders, "Turn due south, how long until we reach the border?"

"Five minutes, ma'am."

"Kira and I had better launch just in case," Mu spoke up, turning and hurrying out, dragging Kira behind him.

Kira did not even begin to protest, however, he was too busy trying to keep the grin of triumph off his face.

* * *

"Commander, the Archangel has changed course!" Nichol cried in surprise, blinking at his console to make sure he was right. It seemed impossible that the plan could go wrong now, so close to completion, but the screen was not lying, and the Archangel was indeed adjusting it's direction.

"They're heading for Orb?" Yzak growled in disbelief, "The cheaters!"

"Hmm, the Archangel must have used an excuse," Rau frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully with a gloved hand, "We cannot pursue them into Orb. Fall back, we don't have enough energy to fight them now."

"But.." Dearka began to argue.

"No buts," Rau shrugged, "They will have to leave eventually. We will fall far enough back to be out of radar range, and wait for them to emerge. All vessels return to Heliopolis."

* * *

"ZAFT has pulled back, you two can relax now." Murrue spoke through the com line, and Kira visibly deflated.

"Whew," Mu let out a deep breath, his normal grin slightly strained as he turned to clap Kira on the shoulder , "Good job, kid. I think we can safely say you're off the hook now."

"Good," Kira smiled wearily, raising a hand to run it tiredly through his hair. He felt exhausted, and with good reason,"I'm going to go find my friends, how long until we arrive?"

"About half an hour." Mu made an offhand gesture with his hand, before spinning on his heel and marching off, whistling tunelessly as he went.

Kira did not waste time in finding his friends, relieved to find them all fine, if a little shaken. They had retired to their rooms as Mu had advised, and that had saved them from the most of the turbulence caused by the battle.

"Kira, you made it out alive!" Mirriallia exclaimed with relief, clapping her hands together in joy "Thank goodness! We were so worried."

"You sound surprised!" Kira grinned, before turning serious again and adding, "You guys all okay?"

"Yeah, thanks to you two." Surprised by the new voice Kira spun around and found himself face to face with Andrew, Lacus and Martin standing behind. Trying to ignore the sniggering of his friends Kira replied modestly.

"Uh, thank you, Mr. Waltfield. It was...nothing."

Andrew nodded, as if it was the answer he had expected, then stepped back to allow Lacus to speak.

"Hi, Kira," She smiled warmly, "Thank you once again for protecting this vessel. Is it true? Are we headed for Orb now?"

"Uh, yeah, the Representative has granted us shelter because of the refugees on board."

"I see," Lacus dropped her head, before lifting it again, her voice and expression thoughtful, "Do you suppose I will be able to contact my father from there?"

"I'm sure Cag-the Representative will allow it." Kira nodded, wincing as he realized his slip up.

"Oh, well, thanks again. I'm glad you're all safe." Lacus turned and left, Martin and Andrew falling into step behind her, leaving Kira to the mercy of his friends, although this time they chose a different subject of torment.

"Cag?" Tolle pounced at once, "Don't tell me you know the Representative as well!"

"Well, its kind of complicated." Kira stammered, knowing his friends might be surprised at the fact had had kept this secret from them. It had not been intentional, mind you, far from it, it had just never occurred to him. Tolle would have undoubtedly pursued the matter further, but at that moment they were all called to report to the boarding ramp.

"Home at last!" Tolle shouted gleefully, his previous line of conversation forgotten as he instigated a race for the exit. Despite Tolle's antics, Kira was one of the first to step off the ship, and was immediately met by a rather irate looking blonde, her hands on her hips, and hazel eyes glowing with disapproval.

"You _idiot_!" She snapped, not giving him a chance to defend himself, "What did you _do_ this time?"

Kira's face was turning red, as he realized all his friends, not to mention the crew, were gaping at the scene. Mu was laughing, he was sure of it, and even Murrue had her hand over her mouth as though to hide her smile. Desperate to salvage the situation he tried to respond, but all he managed was a stuttered reply.

"Uh...hi...sis."


	11. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Unfortunate Truths**

"Unfortunately, ZAFT's actions have proven that Orb is no longer the haven it once was. I'm afraid no place is safe from this war now, if any ever was."

They were gathered about the large, antique dining table set in the centre of the Attha' mansion dining room, the hot meal Caggallie had offered long since cleared away, and the eighteen year old representative now turning their attention back to more serious matters. Kira would have liked to put that off for longer, right now he had absolutely no desire to discuss war, Heliopolis, or anything even slightly related to either, but Caggallie was a ruler, and she saw her country as her first obligation. She would not forestall this conversation.

"Well, at least now that we have some witnesses the council may act," Caggallie sighed wearily, almost talking to herself, the rest of the table was so lost in thought, "I've had a a hard time trying to convince them to do _anything_! They think they're safe, that nothing can harm them, and they won't see otherwise until they have a rocket right up their..." she trailed off as Kisaki cleared his throat, having the good grace to blush slightly in embarrassment, but continuing with only a brief pause, "Things are going to get rough from here on, and that's a bloody understatement."

"What I'd like to know is why Cobra refused us entry," Mu fumed, staring down at the woodwork of the table, an uncharacteristic scowl on his face, "The grounds they suggested were by no means satisfactory. 'Involved in the Heliopolis incident'? We were caught in the flaming crossfire! What were we supposed to do? Foresee it was going to happen or something?"

"Orb has been watching both ZAFT and the Earth Alliance for quite some time," Kisaki answered calmly, his expression grave as he continued, "Both sides have recently been dipping into some dubious actions."

"Dubious?"Murrue prodded further, stiffening in her seat as she clasped her hands before her on the table, "How so?"

"I'd prefer not to say," Caggallie spoke with caution, something Kira was quick to note, as it was such a rare thing, "I would not want to jeopardize out relations with the Earth Alliance, particularly now that it seems ZAFT is no longer adhering to the treaty."

"Then you are going to side with the Earth Forces?" Mu raised an eyebrow, but Caggallie was quick to rebuke him, almost too quick.

"Of course not!" she snapped, "I'm merely saying our neutral stance with them is worth preserving. We have done nothing that violates our treaty with them, and I would prefer to keep it that way. The truth is, if ZAFT continues down this path they may attack other parts of Orb, and if it becomes an absolute necessity, I _might_ have to request aid from the Earth Forces. Even so, I would not share top secret information, just as I know you would not."

"Then we have an understanding," Natarle stated coolly, "As soon as we are resupplied we should leave. I am sure we shall find sanctuary at Artemis."

"That's a long way from here," Mu stated soberly, "And how do we know ZAFT isn't waiting for us outside the border? In fact, they almost certainly are."

"Which puts us in a rather compromised position," Murrue frowned, keeping her gaze on her hands as she spoke, though all eyes had inevitably been drawn towards her, "I believe the reason Cobra would not accept us is because we have seen something we were not meant to see."

"Such as?" Kisaki asked lightly, not pressingly, but clearly expecting an answer. Fortunately, Murrue was willingly forthcoming.

"We saw evidence of Earth Forces carriers within the city." she explained simply.

"Supply carriers?" Caggallie started in surprise, "I hadn't heard of this! But, even if that is so, it does not give ZAFT a reason to attack! So the Earth Alliance has bypassed their supply blockade, what of it? It didn't give them the right to take innocent lives."

"There is more to it than that, though," Mu spoke up before she had even finished, "These weren't just supply charters, Representative, there were weapons amongst them."

"So the Earth Forces were using Orb to ferry weapons to their main headquarters in preparation of attacks on the PLANTs," Andrew gave a slow, slightly pensive nod, exchanging a glance with Lacus before proceeding, "If ZAFT found out about it, I can see why they would want to stop it."

"They have no right to," Caggallie snarled abruptly, slamming her fist down on the table, causing the ornamental candle stands to shudder, "No right! Orb was not aware of such an infraction, we should have been informed! Something could have been done about it! Besides, who are they to try and stop the Earth Forces gathering weapons, it's not like they haven't been doing the same!"

"Caggallie!" But, Kisaki's warning appeared to have come too late, for Lacus' bright blue eyes were now focussed intently on the blond woman's face.

"What do you mean, Miss Attha?"

"Well," Caggallie floundered a moment, before slapping her palm to her head and giving a sigh, "Oh, to hell with it! Orb has discovered that the EA has taken a great deal of interest in nuclear research of late, and as for ZAFT...Well, it has been constructing a fortress just outside the border of the moon colonies. The exact strength of this fortress is unknown, but judging by some of the parts we have noticed being shipped there it is likely that it will be equipped with a strong laser cannon, perhaps one with range enough to reach the Earth. Needless to say these actions have concerned us, and the fact ZAFT would attack Orb because of something the Earth Alliance was doing with weapons when they themselves have been taking advantage of goods purchases from our nation...It infuriates me!"

"But, the council could never approve the building of a weapon of mass destruction," Lacus spoke up again, her features darkened by a scowl, "It is against ZAFT's code of conduct."

"Code of conduct?" Tolle answered with interest, daring to break into a conversation Kira had thought was only for the more important individuals seated at the table.

"It was created just before the beginning of the war, shortly before my father left office," Lacus replied, "To prove that ZAFT is better than the EA they shall not indulge the use of weapons of mass destruction, alike to those used to strike them. They will instead try to attain peace by acting only in self defense, to protect the PLANTs, and to leave Earth to it's own devices."

"But by attacking Heliopolis they have already made the same mistake," Andrew pointed out, "Things can only get worse from here. What I don't understand is why the EA is researching nukes, they aren't seriously planning to destroy the PLANTS that way, surely?"

"We can't be sure of their intentions, yet," Caggallie said smoothly, raising her hands in a pacifying gesture, "I do not mean to raise false alarms, it is merely worrying to a nation such as Orb to see the two enemies in this war reverting to such methods. That is why we have been keeping a watch on them, although our nation is protected by the treaty ZAFT alone has proven that we are not safe. We would like to think both sides will continue to honor the treaty, but Orb can no longer afford to lie idly by. I hope you understand, Miss Lacus."

"Perfectly so," The other girl nodded, "How are we to defend ourselves if we do not know what is going on? Has there been any news of my father yet?"

"None," Kisaki shook his head, "Not since you left EA territory, it is possible he is being held hostage until the Earth Alliance discovers ZAFT's intentions."

"But that is unfair!" Mirriallia pointed out, "Siegel Clyne is a peace ambassador, he's not even the Chairman of PLANTs anymore."

"Life is rarely fair," Lacus answered calmly, surprisingly calmly, given that she was the one most affected by this,"I am sure father is just as safe here on Earth as he would be in the PLANTs, for after such a move as this, the tension there will be palpable. It is well known that the Clyne Faction does not approve of acts of mindless vandalism, and although this attack was probably triggered by some tactical reasoning, it still resulted in the death and enslaving of countless innocents. I totally understand what Orb's feelings must be at this time, but I urge you not to lash back. Strike and strike back, it is what my father used to say, Strike and strike back creates a never ending cycle of revenge, until the people forget what they are fighting for in the first place. We have now been at war for twelve months, and this theory has proven correct time and time again.

What happened to our ability to discuss things in a rational manner? Has the world lost it's ability to even communicate with others? Has the gap between Naturals and Coordinators become so wide that we no longer understand what the other side is saying? Or are we just unwilling to listen? We are fighting hard, with all our power, but for what? People say it is to stop another tragedy from happening, just like what happened on the Seventh Colony, what they fail to realize is they are now the ones causing the pain. I will not lay blame on either side, I cannot, certainly not now. ZAFT claims to have been fighting only defensively for the last year, but by this act alone they have undone all their work of building up a good reputation. My father believed in purely defensive measures, but as a military general Patrick Zala sees things differently. He sees things as tactical procedures, not messages of the heart.

The problem of this day and age is so few people have the confidence to see things with an open heart, they are afraid of being hurt, of losing, or being betrayed. War has destroyed morals, principles, and the ability of people to actually _live_ their lives. If they do use their hearts their thoughts are often clouded by revenge, pain, or an overwhelming desire to protect what they have left. There are many people who desperately want to do the right thing, but have no idea how to do it. They struggle on blindly with no one to lead them, until finally they, too, fall victim to the one emotion that destroys even the most kind hearted people in the world..."

"_Anger_." Murrue whispered, and Lacus nodded.

"Anger. I have watched many people succumb to it, in so many different ways. Some people display their rage openly, but there are others who know it is wrong, who hide it away and allow it to stew, destroying themselves in their efforts to do the right thing. It starts out as fear, more often then not, fear of not being able to protect, this soon leads to anger at people's deaths, which leads to hate for those who killed them, which leads to revenge, and the cycle starts again. At this rate, I fear there will be no one left alive by the time this war is brought to a close."

"There will be some people left, I swear," Kira clenched a fist, determination in his voice and eyes as he insisted, "We won't let them all die."

"Sorry to interrupt everybody," Sai spoke for the first time since they had landed, "But what are we going to do now? I mean, really, what are we _supposed_ to _do_?""

"A good question," Natarle answered primly, a slightly offended note to her voice as she continued, "The Earth Forces refuse to acknowledge us, we only have half of our crew, the others as good as dead in Heliopolis, and ZAFT most likely waiting just outside Orb's borders."

"We are in a tight spot," Murrue agreed gravely, "Under the current circumstances, I think the Archangel should remain in Orb until we find out what is going on. The ship is carrying a ZAFT Gundam, the last thing we want to do is lose it. This all depends on your approval, of course, Representative Attha."

"I approve, of course you must stay," Caggallie nodded at once, and Kira wondered briefly why she seemed so eager. She was putting herself in a compromising position by offering shelter to the Archangel, and yet she almost seemed _excited!_ Kira did not know how that was possible, because all he felt was dread. "Kisaki will have some accommodation prepared for your crew."

"Thank you," Murrue replied gratefully, "Whilst I believe the Archangel should remain here I think it is best if us three officers make for the Cobra Base and try to establish what is going on, even if we have to do it undercover. The grounds for their refusal of entry made no sense, I can only guess at what their intentions were, and still are now."

"It seems they wanted the Archangel destroyed, but why?" Mu mused, "Unless it was because of what we saw at Heliopolis."

"Yes, I agree about that being a possible reason," Caggallie nodded, "A weapons carrier would never have received exemption to enter Orb. We barely allow war ships to enter, we certainly wouldn't allow something possibly carrying weapons of mass destruction."

"That could be the reason Cobra wouldn't let you land," Martin suggested, "Maybe they didn't want word of this getting out."

"It's a possibility." Murrue admitted, looking suddenly weary, "But we will know more once we have visited the place ourselves. I can't believe I am saying this, but I think if we went to the Cobra Base now we would be arrested and imprisoned. This will have to be done subtly. Perhaps we can contact some of our colleagues within the base, people we can trust."

"I know someone who might be able to help us," Mu agreed with a nod, "But, unfortunately, I think you might be right about the other. Really, it makes one wonder why you joined the forces in the first place."

"Things are getting out of hand," Murrue said softly, "This entire war is getting out of hand."

"Do you need a vehicle?" Kisaki offered, once the pair had lapsed back into a pensive silence, "We can provide you with Orb ID's too, if you would rather remain ambiguous."

"I don't approve of this," Natarle began, but Mu interrupted her.

"If they did want us dead, and they find out who we are, then we will be executed. I don't know about you, but I would much rather be a treacherous living being, than a loyal until death pile of bones."

Natarle glared at him, but said no more, and Caggallie was quick to fill the descending silence.

"I will make sure everything you need is provided," she said quickly, "I would like to know what is going on within the Earth Forces as much as you, and not just because of what has happened at Heliopolis. Because, right now, the answer to your questions could hold the fate of Orb in the balance."

* * *

After the officers had left Caggallie had rooms prepared for everyone else who had been brought to the mansion, a surprisingly generous gesture, but one she felt she could well afford. The crew had not been large to begin with, and even including the refugees they had taken on, the ship had been carrying an amount of people well below it's capacity. Only once she had made sure everyone was settled in their own room did she go in search of Kira, determined to have a one on one conversation with him. He was one of the few people she could open up to, and she wasn't about to let the opportunity slip, not with so much at stake. She found him sitting on the porch looking out on the moonlit garden, his gaze distant, though he looked up as soon as she approached and smiled. Returning the gesture genuinely Caggallie joined him on the bench, and then proceeded to open a conversation, already plotting how to swing it in the direction she wanted.

"What are you guys going to do now?"

"I don't know," Kira shrugged, looking utterly helpless, "I really don't know. I just wish we knew what had happened to our parents, I hate having to sit here doing nothing, and yet I hate _doing_ anything more. I feel like my whole life has been turned upside down, when home becomes a dangerous place, and friends become enemies and..." he trailed off, frowning, as if he had just said something he had not meant to, before shrugging again, "It's hard."

Caggallie nodded sympathetically, then laced her fingers nervously, before proceeding, "Kira?"

"Yeah?"

"A lot of people consider Orb to be a safe nation, but the attack on Heliopolis has shown we are not immune to war," She paused, making sure of his attention before continuing, "Orb is still a free nation, with ideals, to never meddle in the affairs of other nations, but we are now a part of this whether we like it or not. Lacus Clyne strikes me as a woman with ideals also, and she knows she has to fight to maintain them, perhaps it is time Orb did the same."

"What are you saying?" he was watching her almost warily now, and she could see the tension surrounding him. Kira had never been this up tight before, not even when they had first met after the discovery of their shared parentage, but the Dreamer she had been expecting appeared to have dissolved somewhat, replaced by a tense, frightened young man. If she was careful, her plan would still work, but seeing him like this was...disconcerting.

"Well," she paused again, "Orb has been hit, and whilst I agree with Miss Clyne that striking back is not a good option, we need to have enough power to protect ourselves. I would be lying if I said the Orb military has not gone downhill since my father's death. If ZAFT decided to attack right now, we would hold for a day at best. We have soldiers and pilots, but equipment and discipline is sadly lacking. We need people who will lead them into battle, people who know what they are doing, who are able to strategize, pilot, fight, to protect their nation with their power. I will be honest, Kira, I have been training to use a mobile suit."

"What?" Kira looked confused, "But I thought only ZAFT had mobile suits?"

"No," Caggallie shook her head, "Orb has been manufacturing a range which can be flown by Naturals, mine is the first off the product line. It's an amazing machine, and if it comes to war, I will be able to effectively lead the troops into battle. The problem is, we are short on commanders."

Kira absorbed this information slowly, before realization struck and he stared at her in disbelief, "You want me to join the Orb military?"

"I'm asking you to help," Caggallie admitted, hurrying on as she saw his rebuttal forming already, "But before you reply, I want you to know what I have in mind. My father always used to say Orb's job was to stay well out of the conflict, but we have been drawn into it by ZAFT, and we cannot afford to look the other way now. I will not lead my country into mindless battle, but I _will_ lead them into battle to protect our nation's people. From what I've seen both ZAFT and the EA are getting more and more ruthless, if it gets too bad, I may consider intervention."

"Intervention?" the look on his face was incredulous, as if he was not convinced she was sane, and frowning, she tried to get rid of that expression.

"Maybe Orb could play the part of referee?" She tried to explain it, "When it comes to the point where both sides are using weapons of mass destruction, I think it is time a third party stepped in and stopped them."

"They won't welcome intervention." Kira warned, "You could be getting your country into serious trouble. Good grief, Caggallie, this is madness!"

"I know," Caggallie nodded, "But that is a step I will only take if things get out of hand. At this point my sole desire is to protect Orb. We cannot be sure, but I believe the ship that was pursuing you is still hovering outside, if the Archangel does not leave they may invade to get what they want."

"You really think they'll go that far?" Kira wondered, "To attack Orb so blatantly?"

"I do, after all, they struck Heliopolis."

"True..." Kira scowled, "I really don't see what I have to do with all of this, Caggallie, I'm a civilian. I support you in your efforts to protect Orb, but there is nothing _I _can do to help you."

"But you have power, Kira!" his twin insisted fervently, "Why not use it! Those who have power and choose not to use it are condemning others without the power to protect themselves! You can save lives, Kira!"

"Caggallie, I don't _want_ to fight. I never wanted to fight, it's why I chose to live in Heliopolis with my family!" Kira retorted, his face contorting into a deep frown as he continued, "I'm not a soldier, I have no obligation to do that."

"What about your friends?" Caggallie tried a different tactic, desperate to make him see things her way, "They are still in danger! Are you just going to throw down your arms and refuse to protect them because you don't want to fight? Nobody _wants_ to fight, Kira, but very few of us have a choice. Once war has started, you have to protect what you have! Or what you have left. I've lost my parents and my best friend, Kira, I refuse to lose Orb as well."

"Caggallie..." Kira sighed deeply in response, before asking in a very quiet tone, "Do you have any idea what you are asking me to do? I came to Orb because I had no desire to be a part of the war. Orb was a safe haven, for those of us who wanted to avoid the hostilities. I just want to stay away from all the death, Caggallie, I don't want a part of it. Once you have struck another, and spilled their blood on your hands, you cannot remove it. I've already seen far more than I want to see, _done_ more than I ever wanted to do. Isn't that enough?"

"You're right, Kira, Orb _was_ a safe haven, but it isn't anymore. There is no where to hide anymore," Caggallie replied, "We _have_ to bring this war to an end, and strange though it may seem, the only way to do that is to fight. The PLANTs, at the very least, are hardly going to stop their actions under their current leadership, Patrick Zala has no morals, and he must be removed in order to attain peace. The EA prime minister I'm not sure of, we shall see."

"Do you realize what you are saying?" Kira said in amazement, leaping to his feet, his eyes wide as they trained themselves on her face, "Patrick Zala _removed_! How are you going to do that?"

"The same way my parents were removed," Caggallie answered coldly, "Assassins are in plenty Kira."

"I don't believe this!" He took a step away from her, waving his arms wildly in an attempt to convey the emotions running rampart on his face, "What you are suggesting is immoral, Caggallie!"

"I won't have to do it, if you help me," Caggallie answered dryly, "If ZAFT sees Orb as a formidable power, and a nation that could possibly ally itself with the EA, they may think twice about a peace treaty, instead of knowing they have the upper hand." She paused, then played her final draw card, "And what about your parents? The only way we can help them is to get rid of ZAFT oppression on Heliopolis, in order to do that we need _strong_ pilots. You are exceptionally strong, Kira, please, don't let your abilities go to waste!"

Kira froze, her last sentence had strung a cord, and for a long time he stood in silence, before finally he answered, slowly but deliberately, sounding as though a heavy weight had just fallen upon his shoulders, and he was so weary he could barely remain standing. "I don't know what I can do, but I will help."

Caggallie leapt to her feet and hugged him, not noticing how stiff he was beneath her embrace, "Thank you, Kira, you have no idea how much it means to me!"

"Yeah, sure."

Delivering his blunt response Kira turned and walked back within the house, Caggallie did not even notice his sullen mood, however, she was happy, her plan was coming together perfectly. It would only take a few more moves to get the Archangel to work for Orb, and then they might have a fighting chance. Prancing a little she walked back inside the house, her face set in a cold smile.


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Reality Takes It's Toll**

The Vesalius was a prototype war cruiser, and it's engines were exceptionally quiet, nothing but a dull hum to break the silence of the night air. The night itself was warm, but a soft breeze kept it from becoming stifling, the sky so brilliantly clear one could easily see the stars appearing one by one in the sky above, and even imagine reaching out to touch the bright jewels. Yet, the crew of the vessel were not enjoying the night, the outdoor observation deck instead being utilized as a council of war, and very few eyes were drawn upwards during the serious discussion.

It had been three days since the Archangel had docked at Orb, and they had made no sign whatsoever of leaving, so, growing impatient, Le Creuset was assessing their options.

"Why don't we just storm in there and steal it?" Dearka suggested cheerfully, not even the long period of idleness enough to dampen his spirits, "I mean, they didn't exactly put up a good fight at Heliopolis."

"But Heliopolis was a surprise attack," Nichol reminded him calmly, "Orb's military strength is not to be underestimated."

"Amalfi is right," Rau said softly, face expressionless beneath his mask, "Orb is more powerful than you may think. They have, secretly, started production of a line of mobile suits which can be piloted by Naturals. I am not sure how far this production line has gone, but it is likely they have at least one. Furthermore, with the Archangel there they will also have the Strike and the Zero."

"So? What do we do?" Yzak asked curtly, "A stealth attack?"

"Orb is smarter than that," Rau shook his head, "They know we are still here, and they will most likely be on high alert. No, I think for now we are best just to wait. I would have liked to see how this situation turned out, but it appears fate has other plans. The Vesalius has been recalled to PLANTs, so another ship will be assigned to this mission."

"But we were so close!" Dearka protested, disappointment clouding his tanned face, "And why the PLANTs? There are other bases on Earth where we could resupply and.."

"We have more important matters to pursue," Rau brushed him off, "The Vesalius is the best ship in the fleet, it should not be wasted playing the waiting game. The Chairman has explicitly requested we return to PLANTs for our new assignment. The Gamma Team will be assigned to this mission. We are leaving."

"What about the Strike?" Yzak interrupted, "If they use it against GOUFs the Gamma team won't stand a chance."

Rau shrugged, "They will send for aid if they need it. Dismissed."

The four filed back within the ship's interior the moment the word was uttered, and left alone Rau turned his gaze southwards, towards the border of Orb. The nation intrigued him, all the more so because of the unpredictability of it's leader. Certainly, he _had_ been prevented from triumphing and seizing the prize he had wanted to further his influence with the Chairman, but it was a small loss that could easily be overcome. He had plenty of time to play his cards right, and no time at all in which to fail.

Failure was not an option in this game, because with it, came death.

* * *

"I hate the way he ends conversations like that!" Yzak fumed as soon as the foursome were alone once again, "It's not fair!"

"Hey, you were the one who wanted a 'proper' commander," Dearka reminded him, "I wonder what the mission is?"

"It must be important, if we are being called off the Strike pursuit." Nichol agreed, rubbing his chin pensively as they walked, "I thought nothing was more important than retrieving the prototype before the Earth Alliance had a chance to study it, and we put so much effort into chasing it here."

"It probably has something to do with the recent nuclear activities in the EA," Athrun sighed, "I think a nuke against the PLANTs is probably more threatening than a single mobile suit."

"I see your point," Dearka scowled, "Nukes, huh? That should be fun!"

"Why must you treat everything like a game!" Yzak glared at his comrade, snapping irritably, "In between you and these two who are pacifist I don't know how I survive!"

"I thought that went vice versa?" Dearka suggested, only to duck as Yzak made a lunge at him.

* * *

"I am glad to see you all made it back in one piece," Caggallie addressed the three officers of the

Archangel once they had all gathered in the lounge, though their abrupt arrival so shortly after leaving had taken her by surprise. She supposed Mu had taken Murrue's advice and contacted help within the base, in which case they would not have had to travel to Cobra on their own, but still, it had been almost miraculously swift. "Did you find anything?"

"Quite a lot," Mu nodded, "And it ain't pretty. You said you weren't aware of the fact that the EA were using Heliopolis as a trade route for supplies, right?"

Caggallie scowled darkly, replying angrily, "No, I was not."

"Well, they have been, it's a definite fact now, and apparently that was the reason behind the attack on Heliopolis. The EA are trying to hush it all up before someone finds out they were abusing the treaty, because the weapons they were transporting through Orb's ports were in aid of completing their nuclear facility at Artemis. Once that is done, they will have a good chance of causing some real bad damage to the PLANT."

"What about my father?" Lacus asked anxiously, moving to stand beside Caggallie, "Has there been any news?"

"No, I'm sorry," Murrue shook her head, "Mr. Clyne was reported missing the day after Heliopolis, no one has heard from him since, and he didn't show up at the shuttle port."

"So the EA don't have him?" Kira asked, watching as Lacus' face visibly fell. She had been hanging out for word of her parent from...well, anywhere, and to hear he had gone missing must have been hard for her. Squashing the irrational urge to try and comfort her he turned his attention back to the conversation at hand, listening attentively as the officers continued their report.

"It's possible they are lying," Mu sighed, "It's also possible ZAFT wants him out of the way so they can continue what they are doing, although Mr. Clyne is no longer chairman he still holds a great deal of influence in the PLANTs, he could easily sway the people against the council's actions."

"So you think Zaft is holding him somewhere?" Andrew asked pointedly, looking disturbed at the notion.

"It is possible."

"In that case I think it may be best if I return to the PLANTs," Lacus sighed, "I need to know what is going on there, just as desperately as we needed to know what was happening _here_. I fear things may be terribly wrong."

"What?" Andrew and Martin exclaimed as one, the former continuing, "Miss Lacus, if ZAFT is behind this you could be in considerable danger, and going back to the PLANTs is like signing your own death warrant!"

"Yes, and if I stay in Orb it will appear that I know something," Lacus pointed out, "I shall return to the PLANTs and continue to act as if I know nothing, in that way I shall be able to gather as much information as possible, and try and figure out what ZAFT's true intentions were. I have a feeling there was something at Heliopolis they wanted, something the EA didn't want them to get. That would explain the presence of the EA carrier, and ZAFT's attack. The question is, what was it? I can't discover the answer to that here, but if I return to the PLANTs there is a chance I _can_, especially if I can speak with the Chairman, or even Athrun."

Kira tried hard not to flinch at the name of his best friend, but no one was looking, so it did not matter if his successfulness was in question.

"Must have been something awfully important for them to risk their relations with Orb." Kisaki muttered, frowning.

"What about survivors?" Tolle interrupted, unable to keep quiet any longer, "What will they do with the people who survived?"

'Most likely they will be shipped to PLANTs prisoner of war facilities," Mu replied, "I'm sorry, kid."

"But there must be something we can do!" Sai said in exasperation, "Our families are there! Can't the Archangel break in or something?"

"I'm afraid not," Murrue shook her head sadly, "Whether the EA accepts it or not the Archangel is an Earth Forces shuttle, we cannot break into ZAFT territory, it would cause too many problems."

"So what did you find out about the Archangel's situation?" Caggallie interrupted, "Why wouldn't they let you land?"

"Well, to use their words," Natarle answered, each word heavily laced with disgust, " 'The Archangel was present at the illegal attack on Heliopolis, and is therefore under suspicion of taking part in the subsequent collapse of the city' ."

"But that's ridiculous!" Caggallie snorted, "If you had taken part in the attack why would ZAFT be pursuing you? Furthermore, why would you have refugees on board?"

"Exactly,"Mu spoke seriously, "My only guess can be that Miss Lacus is right, and that the carrier was not supposed to be there. In which case they probably hoped ZAFT would destroy the Archangel and destroy all evidence. They obviously didn't expect Orb to take us in. On top of that, there is the fact that the Earth Forces could be said to be to blame for the collapse of Heliopolis, and if the EA wants to negotiate with Orb, that kind of information would seriously put them at a disadvantage."

"We will know more of this situation once I have revisited the PLANTs," Lacus said smoothly, "My fiance is in the army, I believe I should be able to get some information from him, if I am lucky enough to find him on leave. If all else fails I also have connections with various other parties affiliated with the council. What will Archangel do now it is stuck in Orb?"

"I don't know," Murrue answered honestly, "We've been proclaimed MIA, so it's not likely anyone is going to come looking for us. We can't go back to the Earth Forces, and we can't leave Orb. Our choices are limited."

"I would like a ship such as the Archangel in Orb," Caggallie spoke up, and Kira blinked at her, wondering just how far she was truly willing to go to build this army of hers. Asking him had been one thing, he was her brother, her kin, and he felt certain obligations towards her, but this! This was getting out of hand. "It would greatly strengthen our forces, which are in need of back up after the fall of Heliopolis. Would you consider joining the Orb Military?"

"Joining Orb?" Natarle said doubtfully, "I cannot do that whilst I still have loyalties to the EA. No matter what their motives are, I am, and always will be an Earth Forces officer."

"I suggest you depart from Orb, then," Caggallie said coldly, and Kira shivered at her tone, "I will not entertain an officer from the EA, not after what they have done. But, Captain Ramius, surely this would prove that you had nothing to do with the attack on Heliopolis? After all, it was Orb territory, so if you are seen to be defending Orb it should prove your innocence."

"Or Orbs culpability," Mu sighed, "This is a lot more complex than you think, Representative, if we, a registered EA vessel, are seen fighting alongside Orb it could have consequences. ZAFT will not take it lying down."

"Then that is their problem," Caggallie shrugged, dismissing the threat with such indifference that Kira seriously began to question her sanity, "Please consider my offer carefully, in any case, if the Archangel leaves the Strike shall remain behind. I need it to back up Orbs military, and since it was piloted by a citizen of Heliopolis, I believe Orb has first right to it." Ignoring the somewhat put out expression of Mu, and Natarle's mouth already opening to argue, Caggallie turned to Lacus, "Now, Miss Clyne, about your transport..."


	13. Chapter 11

**Part 2-Treaty**

**Chapter 11: What Makes or Breaks a Family**

The PLANTs were a cluster of artificial colonies, floating in space a good distance from Earth, but near enough to the sun to not rely completely on their artificial atmospheres. They had been created many years ago as a means of supplementing an Earth no longer able to provide for all it's needs, but after Coordinators were created, and the tension between them and their Natural counterparts became too much, the PLANTs had become the home of many Coordinators, the depopulation of the Earth allowing it to provide for itself once again, and creating two entirely stable ways of life. The cluster of colonies had been Lacus' home from the day she was born, and there was a sort of bitter relief in stepping back onto them now. They stepped out of the shuttle Caggallie had provided into the warm, summer-like atmosphere of the First Colony only forty-eight hours after leaving Orb, a remarkably quick trip, but the port itself was well crowded, and Lacus was glad there was no one to meet them, and that they could simply walk straight out of the terminal.

"Hmm," she hummed softly, the moment the sunlight fell on her face, half closing her eyes in a moment of bliss, even if she knew it could not last, "It's so good to be home!"

"Lacus!"

Startled by the familiar voice she turned in surprise to see the dark haired youth pushing his way through the crowd, recognizing him at once she smiled brightly, despite her astonishment, raising a hand in greeting, "Hello, Athrun." She had not expected him to meet her here, though she had discovered he was on leave during the transmission to gain permission to land with the Supreme Council's office. He must have had to hurry to make it to the terminal in the time between, and she was genuinely appreciative of the gesture. Finally managing to reach them, he paused before her, slightly out of breath he did not hesitate to speak.

"Are you okay?I heard...Heliopolis...You were there?"

Lacus frowned slightly, debating how exactly to handle that question, but then smiled, "I was there, but I left before it was attacked. Do you know what happened? I though it was a neutral nation, why would ZAFT want to attack it?" Andrew and Martin exchanged glances behind her back, whilst Athrun shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting anywhere but her face. It was one thing she could say for him, and that was that he could not lie, at least, not while looking someone in the eye. A dead giveaway, really. "Well, never mind," realizing she wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon Lacus let the subject drop, determining to approach it later from a more subtle angle, "I'm going straight back to the mansion. Has there been any news from my father?"

"None," Athrun fell into step beside her, forward now the subject had been changed, "We traced him as far as Dargos, but no further. He never showed at either the shuttle base or his booked apartment. The last sighting was by the taxi driver who supposedly dropped him off. The Chairman suspects the Earth Forces are keeping him detained in order to stop ZAFT making another strike."

Reaching Athrun's car Andrew and Martin deposited Lacus' bags in the back, before Andrew slid in behind the wheel and Martin sat on the passenger side, the two youngsters sitting in the back.

"Is ZAFT intending to make another strike?" Lacus asked curiously, "I know the Chairman was intending to turn up the offensive side of things, but to move so quickly and so violently..."

"The Earth Forces have been gathering nuclear weaponry lately," Athrun explained, frowning at the back of the chair in front of him pensively, "We were going to strike one of their bases holding the weapons, but with your father's whereabouts unknown it is unsafe to attack anywhere."

"But eventually ZAFT will tire of waiting," Lacus realized, musing silently a moment, before asking, "What have the Earth Alliance to gain?"

"Time," Athrun responded at once, "They're playing for time. Heliopolis was a main trade route for them, their supplies for attack in space have been jeopardized,and they are trying to gain time to establish a new trading line. At the moment they are at a disadvantage, although some of their bases did not utilize the trade route they still have very few units who they will be able to supply constantly. The routes around Heliopolis are much longer, less direct, and monitored by ZAFT. They are fools, really, the system would be far more efficient if each country supplied it's own troops, like the PLANTs do, as it is they have left themselves open to attack."

"What about the reports of a ZAFT fortress being built near the moon?" Lacus pried innocently, "Are they real?"

Athrun looked slightly flustered by that question, and answered it with another, "Where did you hear that?"

"There were rumors circulating in Heliopolis," Lacus said, thinking swiftly,"Orb seems to be keeping an eye on it's neighbors."

"I see," Athrun paused, considering her question thoughtfully for a moment, before nodding, "Well, I guess there is no harm in telling you the fortress is being constructed. It is to be our new defense against assaults from Earth."

"Hmm," Lacus nodded, trying to keep her voice and expression light, the one thing she was not feeling right now, "So it is not to be used as an offensive?"

"I don't think so, why?"

"No reason," She smiled innocently, clutching Haro tightly as the car pulled up outside the Clyne mansion and the small pink ball began to try and escape, "I'll just drop my stuff off here, then we can talk better. Wait here, okay?"

Athrun nodded and obediently remained by the car as Andrew and Martin helped her carry her bags inside. The silence lasted until they were within the mansion, when Andrew spoke in low tones, "There were some white lies there, Miss Lacus."

She frowned, remaining silent for a moment, then sighed and replied, "I know, but Athrun is deeply under the influence of his father, I cannot risk anything leaking. I'd like to think I can trust him, and I want to, but Representative Attha put a lot of faith in me by disclosing what she did, and if I'm not wholly certain of whether or not the person can be trusted, I shall keep it to myself."

"That question about the fortress was a bit risky, then, don't you think?" Martin asked, dropping the cases on the floor, "If Chairman Zala finds out you've been asking about a top secret project..."

She silenced him with a hand, "Don't worry, Martin, I'll be fine. I want you two to stay here, I shall get Athrun to take me to see the Chairman."

"But, Miss Lacus, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" Andrew began, only to be silenced just as easily as Martin. She knew they were only looking out for her welfare, but there were some things that she had to do on her own, anything else would only make things worse.

"Don't worry, I know how to take care of myself, and Athrun will not let anyone _hurt_ me, per se."

Andrew looked doubtful, but said no more, and with one last reassuring gesture Lacus climbed the stairs to her room. She had not spent much time at home during the last six months, as work with the peace embassy had kept her way, but the small, neutrally colored, decoratively arranged space was still _her_ room, and she paused a moment to enjoy the security that thought gave her. And a moment was all she had to spare, before she wandered over to the wardrobe to find a change of dress, only half her mind on the task as she worked to make herself more presentable.

Neither Andrew or Martin had been wrong when they said coming back here was dangerous, for if Mu had been right, and ZAFT truly was keeping Siegel Clyne out of the way so he could not revolt against the chairman's actions then her own position was just as precarious. She could play the part of innocence well enough to be comparatively safe, she was sure, and Athrun being on leave was a piece of luck, for he would not allow anyone to harm her, but she did not trust Patrick Zala, not now. It seemed terrible that things had come to that, come to the point where she could not trust a man who had once been almost an uncle to her, but she did not have time to try and pretend such a fact was not true. This was the truth, and she would not shy away from it.

After changing into a fresh set of clothes and arranging her long hair into a tight ponytail she emerged from her room and hurried down the stairs, deliberately hiding her amused smile at Andrew and Martin waiting at the bottom of the stairs, trying not to look put out by the fact they had to stay behind. Offering both of them a small nod she left the house, Athrun, who was sitting patiently on the bonnet of his car, rising as soon as she approached, his stance slightly more relaxed than it had been at the port. He opened the door for her before moving about and sliding into the driver's side, turning to her with an air of expectancy.

"So, where did you want to go?"

The situation was so familiar she could not hold back a slight smile, but her reply was not lightly given, "I was going to visit Chairman Zala, and see if there was any news of my father."

"He's probably busy," Athrun said slowly, not quite turning away fast enough for her to miss the flicker of...something in his eyes, "But, we can try."

A short ten minute drive brought them to the government building, though it took almost as long to reach the front desk, and Lacus was both surprised and slightly suspicious when she was ushered into the Chairman's office almost immediately. For a moment she considered backing out of the meeting, but since Athrun was also present she figured there wasn't much the Chairman could do. Not physically, anyway, but there were plenty of threats that could be veiled beneath pretty words, her experience as a speaker, and watching her father, had taught her that.

"Miss Clyne!" The tall man with steel gray hair rose to meet her, a smile plastered across his lightly wrinkled face, "What a relief it is to see you safe and sound! You cannot imagine how worried I was when I heard of the delay in your schedule, I am glad to see you were not mixed up into the incident."

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman," Lacus replied politely, taking the seat he offered and noting the fact Athrun had taken up a post just inside the door. It was such a habitual movement she could not help but notice it, or the equally habitual way in which his presence was almost completely ignored. It was something that upset her, but that she could not change now, so she tried to banish it from her mind, focussing on the matter at hand, "I'm still in the dark about what exactly happened there, I assume Heliopolis broke the treaty in some way?"

"You could say that," Patrick Zala nodded, his gray eyes glinting slightly. She had to wonder if he had guessed her motives were anything but innocent, but kept her face blank, despite the pang of fear that rippled briefly through her mind. _He cannot hurt me, not here. _"They were allowing Earth Forces transports to ship equipment and supplies through Heliopolis."

"Really? Intentionally?" Lacus pretended to be puzzled, though in actual fact it was nothing she had not heard before. She was fortunate acting came as part of both her performance as a singer and as a peace minister, but even so fooling this man was going to be hard, "Don't you think the Earth Forces might have been taking advantage of Orb's lethargy?"

"It is a possibility," the chairman admitted, with great reluctance, if she was not mistaken, "But in any case it won't be happening again, will it? And Orb has been woken up, it will probably be for their own good."

"Yes, you are probably right," Lacus nodded, deciding it best to act naïve for now, even though inwardly she was disgusted by his comment. What had happened to the man that he could see the death and imprisonment of an entire city of people as a 'good thing' for Orb? Deciding that running in circles was going to get her nowhere Lacus prepared to press for the next step, her voice taking on an absent note, as though she was merely musing aloud, "Although I still think it was kind of strange that there was an Earth Forces weapon carrier parked in Orb."

"There was a what?" Patrick lost his calm demeanor for a moment, before the mask returned, "Would you care to elucidate on that, Miss Clyne?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Lacus replied airily, almost triumphant, "Andrew just said something about one of the ships being an Earth Forces heavy assault weapon carrier, or something along those lines. You know? One of those ones that carries the big ones?"

Lacus knew Athrun was looking at the back of her head rather quizzically, trying to figure out why she was acting so ignorant, most likely, but since he didn't speak she considered herself safe, and kept the act up.

"Well, it was probably just coincidence," Patrick huffed, trying to smooth his slip over, "ZAFT certainly wasn't trying to attain any heavy weapons, we don't need that kind of stuff here."

If Athrun had been baffled by Lacus' behavior he was even more confused by his father's choice of words. 'Stuff' was an extremely vague word, and in all the years Lacus had known her fiancé's father she had never heard him use such an ambiguous term. Athrun's surprise alone showed her that whatever she had said _had_ affected the Chairman's composure, but she knew better than to push to far, and so took a step back.

"I'm sure you don't," She cocked her head and smiled, "I know you always agreed with father's ideals, and I'm glad. With someone like you in charge of the PLANTs I'm sure we shall never see a repeat of the Seventh Colony Tragedy, either in the PLANTs, or on Earth."

Patrick smiled weakly, "Of course, and I shall always stand behind Siegel."

"Speaking of which," Lacus swiftly changed the subject, seeing an avenue for out and taking it gladly, "Has anything been heard from my father? I should be lying if I said I haven't been worried."

"Nothing, sorry," Patrick shook his head, "Aside from the driver who dropped him off at Dargos, no one has seen him. I'll let you know as soon as we have any news, but I trust that in the meantime you will stay in PLANTs, where you are safe?"

_Safe is a point of view, chairman. _"I don't know," Lacus frowned slightly, "I mean, I had already promised to tour the moon colonies after we left Orb...'

"I'm sure your fans will understand," Patrick interrupted immediately, "You should at least wait until the issue of Heliopolis has been properly resolved, someone might try and take advantage of you."

_Yes, and if only I could be certain that person wouldn't be you. _"I thank you for your concern," she answered aloud, rising, "I shall consider your words, and get back to you after I have spoken to my attendants."

"You are a wise woman, Miss Clyne," Patrick also rose and escorted the girl to the door, "I trust you will make the right decision."

"I hope so," Lacus smiled innocently, knowing the threat she had been expecting had just been delivered, "And thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to see me."

"Not at all," Patrick mumbled, "Always a pleasure to speak with a Clyne."

Lacus smiled one last time and stepped outside the office, a bewildered Athrun only a step behind her, though the silence he had maintained in the office did not last long once they were out in the open.

"What was all that about?" He demanded as they walked through the lobby, ignoring the people about them, and focussing on her face alone.

"All what?" Lacus asked innocently, knowing he would not be thrown off so easily. Fortunately for her, before Athrun could reply they were approached by a councillor a few years younger than the chairman, his face alight with a grin of welcome.

"Hello, Athrun!" He smiled broadly, a genuine expression, something that was becoming rarer and rarer amongst the councilors, "It is good to see you. Might I inquire as to how Nichol is doing?"

"Councillor Amalfi," Athrun saluted primly, almost stiffly, "Nichol is fine, sir, he expressed a wish to come home, but wasn't able to get leave."

Thank you," Nichol's father nodded, an amiable smile still on his lips as he turned to address Lacus herself, "And, Miss Lacus, my sincere condolences, be assured I am doing everything in my power to locate your father. The entire council is very concerned for his welfare."

"I thank you, sir," Lacus curtsied, appreciating the authenticity of his concern, "Your efforts do not go unappreciated."

Mr. Amalfi smiled one last time, then bid them farewell and continued towards the Chairman's office

"Two men in the same job, but so very different." Lacus murmured, her eyes following the councilor's footsteps.

"What?" Athrun asked, casting her a sideways glance as they left the lobby.

"Nothing," She said quickly, determined not to let their previous conversation reignite, not now he had been so conveniently distracted, "Well, what shall we do now? I don't want to go back to the mansion just yet, being cooped up just makes me worry more. Where do you want to go?"

He appeared taken aback by the request, and did not respond until after they were back within the privacy offered by the car, his voice slightly tentative as he began, "Well...I.."

"Just tell me," Lacus smiled kindly, "Where?"

"Would you..." Athrun paused, then continued slowly, "Would you come to the memorial with me? I always go when I visit the PLANTs, so...?"

"Of course!" Lacus answered at once, relieved for the moment that it was not something she might have shied away from, "Just stop by the florist on the way, I'll get some flowers. What are her favorite?"

Athrun smiled faintly as he slid behind the steering wheel once again, "Lilies," He said softly, "White lilies."

"Lilies it is then," Lacus answered happily, "Haro, there you are!" She exclaimed as the pink ball came bouncing forward from the rear seat, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't take you into the government house, you would have ruined the mood!"

Athrun chuckled somewhat sheepishly, "Sorry, I guess his programming could use some work."

"No way!" Lacus answered indignantly, "I like him just the way he is!" she paused as he pulled the car up to the curb, hesitating briefly, before speaking softly, "Athrun..."

"Yeah?"

"I need to ask you something, is that okay?"

Her voice had dropped lower, and Athrun switched the engine off before turning to her, emerald eyes focussing intently on her face, "Sure."

"Were you...at Heliopolis?"

She did not fail to notice the sudden tautness in her companion's body, or the way he turned his gaze away instantly, and for a moment she thought he was not going to answer, or that was he was going to lie. The silence lasted so long she considered apologizing, or just revoking her question, but at last he gave a slight sigh, before giving a slow nod as he replied, honestly, "Yes. My team led the assault."

"I see," Lacus paused, then shook herself, "I'll just get the flowers."

Athrun looked up instantly, "Shall I..."

"No," She shook her head, "It's only flowers, Athrun, I'll be fine!"

She got out of the car with Haro bouncing about behind her and walked into the shop without looking back, waiting until she was sure she was hidden behind the rows of bouquets before allowing her expression to fall. It had been the thing she feared the most, especially after hearing Kira's account, but she had foolishly tried to convince herself that there had been some kind of misunderstanding, that Athrun was not so far beneath his father's thumb he would act in a way she was sure he knew was immoral. There was no way she could tell him the truth now, in any case, not now she knew for sure. To tell Athrun would be far too dangerous, so she would have to lie.

She just wished she felt more certain that that decision was not a big mistake.

* * *

Athrun let out a deep sigh as Lacus vanished from sight, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes wearily. The last few days had been murder, with the council demanding meeting after meeting until they had every possible detail about the attack, the Archangel, and the Strike, not to mention his father's own requests for a full report in private. They now knew about the probability of the pilot being a Coordinator, the only thing they didn't know was that the Coordinator could very well have been Kira. Athrun had deigned to keep that information to himself, figuring since he didn't know the truth he was merely speculating and couldn't give such information to the council, as it would only create more questions.

He still remembered the words of his father, when he was first giving a report to the council, and right now they served his purpose most conveniently.

_"To the point, concise, and with no superfluous information. State things from an observer's point of view, all personal observations are best kept to oneself, as they will only lead to speculation."_

_"But isn't that keeping information in check?"_

_"Certainly not. Unless you know it for a fact, you are not required to speak it."_

Serving his purposes? Athrun almost laughed, he was beginning to sound like Le Creuset, even if it was somewhat comforting to have made that decision on his own. After all, he had gone along with his father's plans for Heliopolis, and that had almost seen Lacus killed. What would he have done if she had been caught in the crossfire? He had only done as he was ordered, but if it had cost her her life, would his father even have cared? Lately he seemed more and more immune to the deaths of the innocent people caught in the crossfire, and, quite frankly, his indifference was beginning to scare Athrun.

The thought of Lacus dying, on the other hand, scared him even more, and he was unable to repress the shudder that rippled through his body.

"Athrun," Lacus' light tap on his arm startled him out of his reverie, and he realized somewhat belatedly that he had come close to drifting off, "Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah," He restarted the engine before glancing at the bouquet she had purchased, the smile that had sprung to his lips more a tribute to memory than the present, "They're beautiful Lacus, mom would have loved them."

He did not speak further, turning his attention back to the road, and refusing to allow any further thoughts of the young woman beside him's death to enter his mind.

* * *

Lacus was pleased at the sincerity in his tone, and more so at the slight smile she saw briefly dance across his face. Though she smiled herself when she realized it was the first time he had referred to his parent in a personal manner in front of her. She believed that impersonality had been his own way of shielding himself, of distancing himself from the fact of Lenore's death, and it was almost a relief that those shields had crept down briefly, in her presence, no less. In truth, Lenore Zala, such an inspiring, heart warming individual in life, had become a source of pain and discomfort for her family upon her death, a fact Lacus felt most unfortunate, and not just because she had been the one to see it's worst effects. For though Patrick Zala's grief at his wife's death had been immense, the woman's son had carried a greater burden, because from the moment she was killed, he might as well have been an orphan, for all the attention the Chairman would spare for him.

She had been angry at Patrick Zala then, as an eight year old girl, and not just because her father had been angry. Both of them had seen the consequences of his actions, had had to try and rectify those consequences, and Lacus knew it had been an argument with her father over that that had seen the friendship between Clyne and Zala weaken and eventually dissolve away into nothing. She had been a child at the time, nine, to be precise, and it had been the day of the memorial, twelve months after the great woman's death, and the first day Patrick Zala did not accompany his son to the grave.

_The PLANT controllers had chosen today to make it rain within the controlled environment, and the soft patter of the liquid against the window was a soothing melody, something she tried to accompany, although her voice broke with such regularity it had proven near impossible. The Clyne Mansion, normally a place so full of life, felt sickeningly empty tonight, despite the fact they had guests present, if one could ever call Patrick Zala a guest. He scared her in ways now that he had never done before, all the more so because she saw the way her father scowled at him, as if he saw something that was not quite right, but today she had found an emotion to overcome that fear, and it was anger._

_A sidelong glance at the other occupant of the room showed her he had not changed positions, merely sitting cross legged on the ground, his elbows propped on his knees, and his chin cupped in his hands, his eyes focussed dully on the fire within the hearth. It was not even a real fire, even if the flames were to a point, but it still shaded his face in odd ways. She was worried about her friend, and not just because her father had, only a few hours before, been forced to go out in search of the young boy, when he had vanished shortly after the memorial service. No, her worry stemmed from deeper fears she could not yet understand, but yet somehow knew of, her naïve innocence preventing her from truly understanding what she felt._

_This silence was suffocating her, however, and in desperation she at last turned away from the window, making her way out of the room silently, though she was not sure if Athrun would have noticed a shout right now, let alone her soft exit. She needed to see her father, she needed to be reassured, and with that decision firmly implanted in her young mind she made her way to the study, only to pause in astonishment as she reached the slightly ajar door, frozen in surprise at a sound she had never heard before in her life._

_Her father was shouting._

"_This cannot continue, Patrick!" he was not yelling exactly, but his voice was raised, and in Siegel Clyne's case that was enough to count as a shout, "It's been twelve months! I've waited, I have not said a word when I have wished to, but it has gone too far! I know Lenore meant a great deal to you, believe me, I know how it feels to lose a wife, but you cannot punish your son for it! And that is what you are doing!"_

"_And what qualifies you to interfere in my family affairs?" Patrick Zala's voice was a near sneer, and Lacus shivered as she crept closer, one hand on the doorframe, to try and spy the expressions that accompanied the words. She could not see Patrick's face, but her father's was one of obvious frustration and anger, justified anger, "He is my son, and I shall raise him as I see fit."_

"_You aren't raising him at all!" was the explosive answer, as Siegel brought his hand crashing down amongst the paper's on the table, "Can't you see that? It was me who went in search of him when he ran off, not you, despite the fact it is a father's duty!"_

"_I have more duties to attend to than to look after an obstinate brat..."_

"_Being in office is no excuse!" that argument was cut off before it even had a good chance to begin, "I have obligations as Chairman as well, but that does not mean I neglect my family, or your family for that matter. For goodness sakes, Patrick! You have an obligation to Athrun, he is your son, and he deserves better than this. Is this really the way you want him to grow up, believing his father does not even care?"_

_"The world is a much harsher place than you seem to think, Siegel, it is better he sees that now, than is disillusioned at a later date."_

_"He is nine years old," her father's voice had lowered now, to an almost threatening level, "A child, and you would deny him that?"_

_"He is old enough to realize the truth."_

"_And what truth would that be?" the words were spoken in complete and utter exasperation, and Lacus could see the signs that her father was near giving in. It did not happen often, Siegel Clyne admitting defeat, but she knew the signs._

_"The world is hell," was Patrick's calm response, "And we have to learn to live in it."_


	14. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: The Clyne Faction**

"What was Councilor Amalfi seeking?" Rau spoke the moment he had stepped within the darkened office, noticing, not for the first time, how much Patrick Zala seemed to like that darkness. It gave the office an eery feel, and for anyone unexperienced to be standing here would have been a frightening experience. To Rau, it was rather amusing, though he chose not to let that show.

"Permission to continue seeking Siegel Clyne," the Chairman did not look up from his console, a thoughtful frown on his face, "You do realize I am risking an awful lot, if the truth is ever discovered here..."

"It wont be," Rau assured him smoothly, taking the only other seat on offer. The Chairman normally preferred to keep his audiences standing, believing it kept people on edge, and for the most part he was probably right. Nevertheless, his frequent audiences with the man had earned him this small courtesy, "Who would ever suspect it? It is not as though our attacks were not announced."

" Yes, but there are those amongst the _Clyne _Faction who have suspicions of their own," he spat the word as though it was distasteful, and this time it was an effort to hide the smile of satisfaction. The break there had been far from clean, marred by anger and resentment, on both sides, and it was something that had significantly eased the difficulty of Rau' task, "_They _know more than they let on. Siegel may have been a pacifist, but he was no fool."

"Oh, I agree," he gave a slow nod as he crossed his legs, resting his chin lightly against the back of one half fisted hand, "One could never call Master Clyne a fool, but even he would have difficulty seeing through the defenses we have constructed. Which reminds me, I believe Artemis is our next target?"

"That is correct," Patrick finally looked up from the console, but only briefly, before turning back to the information displayed on the screen, "In addition to the nuclear facility being prepared there, our operatives have reported many of the Earth Forces high commanders in that area, and to strike the untouchable base of Artemis will be a severe blow to their self esteem, the perfect thing to follow up the cutting of their supply lines."

"Has there been any word from Orb on that situation?"

"Nothing," the frown on the Chairman's face was slightly disturbed, "I would have thought the government of Orb would have raised a fuss by now, but nobody has so much as uttered a peep, at least, not publicly."

" They may be reassessing their position, sir," So Attha was being unpredictable yet again? That was no surprise. "They are in a slight amount of difficulty."

"Well, either way it is irrelevant," Patrick waved his hand, apparently dismissing the matter, "I am assigning the Artemis mission to your squad, mostly because it requires the presence of the Blitz, but also because I trust a mission of this magnitude to be well within your capabilities. I am also dispatching Gladys' vessel, and the pilots currently on board, to attack their Atlantic Base. With two strikes at two main targets, I expect they will be taken by surprise, and be helpless to retaliate."

"A well devised scheme, sir," Rau nodded in satisfaction, truthfully not able to care less about what he did with the pilots on Talia Gladys' state of the art vessel. Although, it might be interesting to see what the boy was up to...shaking himself internally Rau rose, giving a quick salute before uttering his farewell, "I will do my best to see it achieved."

He chose not to mention the reason for that effort would be because it served _his_ purposes as well.

* * *

Soon they had left the city and pulled up at the familiar hill, which sat adjoining the Clyne estate. The land was actually owned by Lacus' family, and it had been at Siegel's prompting that Patrick Zala had agreed to have his wife buried here. It was a private cemetery, something that was almost nonexistent in the world today, and Lacus still felt the rightness of the choice which had been made. Lenore Zala had been a special woman, she deserved special remembrance.

The short walk to the peak was over within a minute, and sooner than Lacus might have expected they were both standing in front of the memorial, her eyes darting over the words inscribed there, just the name, and the date. She had thought it was because Patrick believed his wife needed no further tribute, at least, back when she was a child she had thought that, but now she had to wonder if he had simply had no input at all. The disturbing memory she had relived on the way here reminded her just how much the man had changed after the passing of his beloved, and the fact he may not even have cared occurred to her more readily than it might have done before.

Shaking her head to clear it as best she was able she knelt, and placed the bouquet on the stone, before speaking softly, "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful heart, rest in peace."

She straightened, and stood there for a moment, gazing down at the small picture and two word inscription once more, before stiffening when she was addressed.

"Lacus?"

"Yes, Athrun?" She had almost forgotten she was no longer alone, so used to standing here by herself, and she had to fight to hide her embarrassment.

"I just want you to know, how much I value our friendship."She turned to face him in surprise, unused to such an open display from someone who kept his emotions within for the most part, but his eyes were fixed to the ground, and she could not see his expression, "If...it wasn't for you, I don't think I would have had the strength to carry on after...just...thanks."

She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, "You're welcome."

He looked up and met her gaze evenly, for a moment they just stood there, then he spoke softly, "You don't know how scared I was, thinking I had lost you."

She knew he was right, and that she could not know, but she could well imagine, the reason she remained silent, simply allowing him the moment she knew he needed. His sigh punctuated the silence, and the reluctance in his voice was easily read by one who knew him well.

"We should go."

"Yes."

She took a final glance at the tombstone, before walking back down the hill at his side. They drove back to the mansion in a comfortable silence, and as soon as they arrived she had to bid Athrun goodbye, knowing he had to return to his duties. She would have liked to speak with him for longer, to try and make him speak about what had happened in Heliopolis, about who had instated the mission, and perhaps even why he had gone along with it, but she didn't have time, and so the only thing she could truly offer him was a kind smile and a sisterly kiss on the cheek, even if she knew, inside, that that would never be enough. It was a very sober young lady who stepped inside to meet her two over anxious attendants, but she giggled when she caught sight of them, and the expressions on their faces.

"You're like a couple of old hens!" She chuckled, following them through into the laid dining room, but no sooner had she become seated than her serious mood returned, "The attack on Heliopolis did have ulterior motives, what I am not yet sure of, but I think it has something to do with acquiring parts for the fortress they are building in space. Also, Chairman Zala seems over keen to keep me in the PLANTs."

"Why would he want to do that?" Martin asked, picking over his meal, but not actually eating anything. Lacus did not feel very hungry herself, but she forced herself to swallow something, even if she did not even know what it was.

"Well, it could be he wants to make sure people think you aren't against the attack," Andrew mulled over the problem, "Or he may want you to address the public, or perhaps he wants to keep you here so he has control over you, _or_ maybe he is really concerned for your welfare."

"That is a lot of choices," Lacus said thoughtfully, "And all of them are just as likely as the other. Patrick Zala is a hard man to read, but one thing is certain."

"What's that?" Andrew asked, glancing at her over the rim of his glass.

"Athrun's team led the attack on Heliopolis," Lacus frowned, pushing her dinner around her plate with her fork, "But Athrun certainly hadn't been told what the real reason for the attack was. I'm sure he doesn't know, because he believed the Earth Forces supply ferrying was the reason. Also, I hear the Zala Team has been reformed under Commander Le Creuset, a man I definitely have little faith in."

"Wasn't he one of the ZAFT aces in the academy?" Martin asked, a piece of meatloaf finally having found it's way into his mouth, "A kid wonder or some such thing..."

"Yes, but he's risen through the ranks too quickly for my liking." Andrew scowled slightly, his tone one of light distaste.

"I agree," Lacus said seriously, "From what my father told me of the man, he also exhibits a good amount of influence over the Chairman. It is a concerning situation, and one I think the Clyne Faction should look into, can you do something about it, Andrew?"

"I'll see what I can arrange," Andrew smiled, "I'm sure Aisha knows something."

"Thank you," Lacus nodded, "In the mean time I think it is best if I depart PLANTs in a quiet manner for the time being, at least until this issue is resolved. Is the Eternal ready yet?"

"It will be," Andrew assured her, "As soon as you give the word."

"Then I give it," Lacus said firmly, "And make sure Aisha can reach us wherever we are."

"Yes, Miss Lacus." Andrew got to his feet and hurried out to make the necessary arrangements, arrangements that should not be too difficult, as for the most part they were prearranged. However, Lacus had made the rule a long time ago that they were not to organize things by phone, her father had been very cautious of bugging, and she had inherited that trait.

"Now," Lacus caught Haro before he could splat the gravy all over the table, and then rose from her seat, "I have to pack a few things, Martin, can you see to the travel arrangements? Find a driver that you trust, I don't want anyone to know where we are going."

"Yes, Miss Lacus." Martin hurried in Andrew's footsteps, and Lacus followed them at a slower pace, pausing in the hallway to look up at the family portrait hanging there, a picture of her parents with herself as a child. It was the only picture she had of her mother that was easily accessed, but for once it was not towards her female parent, the woman she barely remembered, yet had often dearly wished to meet, that she glanced. No, this time her gaze was inevitably drawn to the blond man standing on the left, the man who had raised her, and who had taught her everything she believed in, of standing up for her beliefs, and of not allowing the need for vengeance to cloud one's mind. It was he who had known war was a dark path that they might not be able to turn away from, and he who had tried to prevent it, and now, he was paying the price for that determination.

"Don't worry, father," She whispered softly, reaching out caress the still image, "I will get to the bottom of this, and then, I _will _find you."

With a new determination in her step she turned and walked up the stairs to her room, closing the door behind her with a resounding thud.

* * *

"Nichol!" Athrun hurried forward to catch up with the green haired boy, who turned and waited patiently, his expression rather stony, if you could ever call Nichol's face stony. "Thanks." Athrun panted when he had caught up, wondering why he always seemed to be chasing around after people lately, "I saw your father down on PLANTs, he was asking about you, and I passed on your message."

"Thanks," Nichol answered cheerily, even if he still seemed slightly hesitant, "I don't get to see my family much, so I always like to send word."

"Right, uh, Nichol?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about the other day," Athrun resisted the urge to shuffle uncomfortably, and instead met his friend's gaze head on. It was his mistake, and he would face the consequences, "I was rude."

Nichol only grinned, any coldness long gone,"Don't worry about it," He said airily, "You were worried about Lacus, I'm just glad she was okay."

"Yeah, me too," Athrun heaved a sigh, "She told me they left Heliopolis a few minutes before the attack, we cut it pretty close."

"Hey, it wasn't your fault," Nichol patted him on the back, "How were you supposed to know she would still be there? Besides...Whoa!" He broke off as they stepped onto the bridge and he caught sight of the massive construction site displayed on the main screen, "That thing is huge!"

Rau only smiled slightly, "It's called the Genesis," He explained, "And it will safeguard the future of PLANTs, now, for our next mission..."

Athrun did not hear a words of Rau's briefing, he had already heard it himself, and his attention was fixed on the fortress under construction. The thing was huge, and by the looks of the weaponry installed on it, it was likely it could wipe out a small fleet, or more. He frowned at the thought, remembering Lacus' question from the port. Had she seen it, perhaps, to have asked whether it was for offensive purposes? And why would the PLANTs need a cannon that powerful? But his thoughts were interrupted as Rau called for him to explain the next part of the mission, yet even so, his mind was still on the fortress as he reached forward across the map, and began to point out the main locations of their next attack.

The attack to remove the threat of nukes, once and for all.


	15. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: When We Meet Face to Face**

Kira rolled over onto his back and stared up at the perfectly white surface above him, the now very familiar roof of the Archangel. Unlike that roof the uniform he was wearing felt strangely alien, and he hadn't even looked in a mirror yet, mostly because he didn't want to see himself as a soldier.

Things had gone downhill since Lacus had departed for the PLANTs, when the Archangel had not departed after a week the ZAFT forces had brought in reinforcements, and were threatening to invade the borders of Orb unless the Archangel was brought forth, along with the Strike. Seeing as the Archangel was the root of all their problems Murrue had agreed to back the Orb fleet up in driving the invading forces away, and in a few hours they would use the light of dusk to their advantage, and launch the offensive. Right now, however, there was nothing to do except wait, and run over the battle strategy again and again.

It was either that, or allow his mind to drift back to Heliopolis, and, inevitably, to Athrun Zala.

Kira sighed and got to his feet, glancing briefly at his reflection in the mirror to make sure he was presentable before leaving the chamber. Lying alone in his room was pointless, all he was doing was allowing his mind to torment him in as many ways as it could find, so wanting some company he went in search of his friends. That was another thing he could not understand, for, upon hearing of his decision his friends had all volunteered to take up positions on the Archangel, which had been left unmanned after the rushed escape from Heliopolis, saying that they wanted to do their bit to help the families imprisoned by ZAFT, including their own. He could not understand why they would so willingly put themselves in danger, but he had no right to question their decision, so he had remained quiet throughout.

"There you are, Kira," Mirriallia's voice startled him our of his reverie, "We were beginning to worry."

"Um, right," Kira replied noncommittally, "Where are the others?"

"Right here!" Tolle, Flay, and Sai emerged from the uniform room together, all adorned in the Orb military uniform, although the Archangel's original crew still claimed allegiance to the Earth Forces and therefore still wore their uniform the five youngsters had only enlisted for the Orb military, and hence their different colors. Kira could not understand how that would not cause problems, but Murrue had accepted it, even if Natarle had been less than pleased.

"What do you think," Flay paraded up and down in front of them, a flair to every movement, "A little better than the Earth Forces dress don't you think?"

"You look fine," Sai sighed audibly, "Now, will you please stop strutting like a model, it's embarrassing!"

"I _am _a model," Flay stopped and put her hands on her hips, glaring the quiet boy down, before amending her statement, "Or, I would be, if ZAFT had given me a chance to complete my degree."

Mirriallia simply rolled her eyes, slipping an arm through Tolle's as she began, "So, what shall we do with our last few hours of freedom?"

"Freedom?" Flay pouted, "What do you mean 'freedom'? We can't even leave the ship!"

"I'm sure we can find something to do," Tolle, always optimistic, replied, "Let's ask the Lieutenant, he seems to know how to have fun!"

"Who's having fun?" At that moment the man himself appeared, a cheeky grin plastered across his face, as always, making him look far younger than his age. Kira was not surprised Mu was the one who had come to check on them, he seemed to have developed an almost paternal relationship with the entire group, Kira especially, something the young pilot was inordinately grateful for. He could have torn himself to pieces over what he did at Heliopolis had it not been for Mu.

"Well, sir," Sai answered politely, "We were hoping you could tell us what we can do for entertainment, you see, we kind of want to keep our minds occupied."

"I see," Mu rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Well, there are consoles in all your rooms where you can check up on the data from recent battles, there's the simulator's in the hangar bay, and Kira, you could do a synopsis on the Strike's systems just to check every thing's running smoothly. Um, the rest of you could go to your post on the bridge and try a simulation there. I'm afraid most of the entertainment on this ship is military related."

The five youths sighed collectively, but Kira only shrugged, "I guess I'll go check on the Strike, then. Hey, Tolle, you want to try the pilot simulator?"

"Sure thing," Tolle leapt at the chance, which did not surprise Kira in the slightest, in fact, he had anticipated when he suggested the activity. Whilst they had still been in Heliopolis he had been one of Kira's main rivals in the piloting class, and it was not a rivalry that would die easily. "Maybe I'll even beat you this time."

"You're on!" Kira found himself laughing as the pair left the main group to head for the hangar bay, and the realization that he _was _laughing took him wholly surprise. He had not truly laughed since speaking with Lacus aboard the Archangel, and that thought confronted him with the totally sobering consideration that with battle on the horizon, there was no way of knowing when he might do so again.

* * *

The ZAFT vessel hovered in a threatening manner above the space port, as it had done for the past day, and yet made no move to take the Earth Forces possessed base. With the disappearance of Siegel Clyne the Earth Forces commander considered his forces relatively safe, and, despite the new vessel which had suddenly appeared outside the specially protected base of Artemis, he was unconcerned. If ZAFT attacked they would not be able to break through the unique umbrella shield protecting the base, and without knowing the whereabouts of Mr. Clyne they daren't attack anyway. If he happened to be injured or killed in the assault the Clyne Faction would raise one hell of a hubbub, so Commander In Chief Azrael dismissed the Vesalius' presence, and concentrated on the battle taking place in Orb.

"Our intelligence shows the Archangel is assisting the Orb fleet," General Halberton announced to the assembly, "The Orb fleet itself numbers about a score of carriers and warships, with two hundred GOUF's and at least one prototype N Mobile Suit."

"Mobile Suits which can be piloted by Naturals," Muruta Azrael rubbed his smooth chin thoughtfully, "They could be useful to us. Keep an eye on the battle, if the opportunity arises I should like to seize one of the suits for our own. It would be an even greater snatch than the Strike. Which reminds me, I wonder how the Archangel became wrapped up in Orb?"

"It appears they were carrying refugees from Heliopolis," General Garcia spoke up, "It is only natural that Orb should offer them refuge, and that the Archangel should help drive off ZAFT in return."

"What about these reports of Orb laying claim to the Strike?" Azrael questioned, "Are the true?"

"Our informant has told us the pilot of the Strike is a Coordinator from Heliopolis," Halberton explained, "He seems to be affiliated with the Representative in some way, and is probably also associated with the Orb military. Therefore, the Representative has demanded the Strike be left even if the Archangel departs. With the news only a Coordinator can pilot it, it is perhaps not as valuable an asset as we had assumed."

"I see," Azrael nodded, somewhat bored with the subject already. Such a weapon was useless to him, let ZAFT destroy their own weapon, if they so wished, it would be somewhat amusing if they did. "Our spy is still safe?"

"So far so good," Garcia nodded, "But what about the ZAFT vessel, Vesalius?"

"What about it?" Muruta yawned.

"Well, with all due respect, sir," Halberton interrupted, siding with the pessimistic General, "The Vesalius is the most advanced ship in the ZAFT fleet, I can't see them being put on surveillance duty. If they are here, it means they are planning a move."

"Oh, please!" Azrael snorted, "First of all, there's no way they can get past our umbrella. Secondly, they don't yet know of Siegel Clyne's whereabouts, his timely disappearance was very convenient to us."

"Still, I believe precautions should be put in place." Halberton tried to continue but was easily cut off.

"I want all your energies concentrated on getting your hands on one of Orb's mobile suits. Forget about the Vesalius, there is nothing they can do to us now."

Halberton and Garcia exchanged glances, but the latter could only shrug, then salute, replying with obedience that was done more out of habit than respect, "It will be done, sir."

* * *

"The Blitz' mirage colloid has served effectively in battle so far, but this will be a real test of it's endurance," Rau said, one gloved hand resting on the map before them, "The Artemis base is close to impossible to enter, however, the umbrella itself is not invincible. It cannot cover all entry points, because it has to have an exit point. Now," His hand moved swiftly across the blueprint, "Right here surfaces a disposal pipe, it is not large, but it should be wide enough for you to travel up. After a while it will become too narrow for you to pass, however, where I want you to emerge is only about half way up. Normally, it would be impossible to enter without being spotted, but by using the Blitz' mirage feature it should be a relatively simple procedure. Fortunately for us, the Blitz is also the smallest of our mobile suits, and probably the only one that could ever hope to complete this operation."

Nichol nodded, and then waited for the Commander to proceed.

"Once inside your target will be the umbrella generator, it will be your _only_ priority. Once it is destroyed your teammates will join you, and the process from there on should be simple. Although Artemis is not the HQ of the Earth Forces it is a substantial property, by removing it from the equation we should be able to deal them quite a blow, which will slow their recovery further, giving us more time to complete the Genesis. Now," He flicked off the map and turned to face the team, "The mirage colloid will last a maximum of eighty minutes, so the infiltration must be completed within that time. Once you _are_ inside concentrate on taking out the hangar bays first, that way you shall prevent them from launching more vessels than they already have in the air. Once the hangar bays are out of the way your next priority will be the anti mobile suit cannons and the enemy vessels themselves. If you follow your instruction correctly, everything should run smoothly, do you understand?"

"Y,sir!"

"Very well," Rau smiled slightly, "Prepare to launch."

* * *

The GOUF's Kira was fighting were a lot less subtle than the mobile suits he had faced in Orb, but with approximately five hundred of them spreading across the area, they certainly weren't to be overlooked. Caggallie would have been lying if she had said they were going into an equal fight, even with the Zero, the Strike, and Caggallie's Rouge the Orb forces were still struggling to hold their own against the larger force, and had it not been for the Archangel, they would have fallen a long time ago. The reality of that did not go unnoticed by any of the commanders within the Orb force, but seeing as the alternative to fighting was to be invaded, not a word of protest was uttered.

Kira furiously struck one of the GOUFs from the sky, only to find another had snuck up behind him, forcing him to react quickly. Spinning around he managed to slice his opponent in half seconds before it would have fired, even so he had no time to breath as another swarm of the enemy vessels came swooping down on him. Looking down at his console Kira cursed under his breath, the Strike was running on less then half power, and he had no idea how much longer they could hold out under these conditions.

"We're going to lose this fight."

And for some reason that admission, even spoken just to himself, banished the fear lurking in his heart. After all, if you _knew_ you were going to die, what was there really to be afraid of?

* * *

"And there it is," Moving the Blitz stealthily Nichol headed for the bright opening, a vent leading out of the pipe, at least twice the size it needed to be, so that the Blitz slipped through it and out into the base beyond without the slightest hint of trouble. He checked the timer once more, and smiled with satisfaction when he realized he still had twenty minutes to spare. Moving as carefully as possible so as to not accidentally bump into any of the patrolling ships he made his way carefully towards the sharp point which produced the impenetrable shield.

_Well, formerly impenetrable,_ Nichol thought, as he reached his destination, pulled his blade out, and, without a second's hesitation, struck.

* * *

To the three onlookers outside it appeared that someone had put a rift in the umbrella, which tore wider and wider, stretching from the inside to the outside, before finally, with a last flicker, the entire thing collapsed. They did not wait to watch the amazing spectacle, however, instead swooping in through the rapidly growing gap the moment it opened.

"Alright, I'm picking up five hangar bays, about two hundred enemy vessels, and three anti mobile suit cannons," Athrun read off his radar, "Nichol is heading for the east hangar, so I'll go back him up. Why don't you two start from the west?"

"Whatever," Yzak muttered, already swooping away with Dearka right behind him, "We could have figured that out without the update, Zala."

Ignoring his comrade's complaints Athrun tightened his hold on the Aegis' control and dived to the left, avoiding a squadron of enemy vessel and spinning to shake off the rockets sent his way.

"Hey, about time!" Nichol teased as he sliced the supports holding the roof in position, sending it crashing down on the weapons it had previously shielded, and preventing the removal of any of the enemy vessels hidden within.

"Ha ha," Athrun snorted, inwardly wondering if Nichol had perhaps been spending too much time around Dearka, "Hurry up, let's get this next one or else Dearka and Yzak will be finished before we even get there. You know we'll never live _that _down."

Nichol only chuckled as the two pilots split up, going down either side of the second hangar and trashing every single support in sight. Within ten minutes the hangars were completely obliterated, and the desperate Earth Forces were beginning to feel the sting of their opponents swords. In fact, the whole operation took a total of two hours to complete, before the landing forces could be seen filing into the base below. A ridiculously easy win, really, when one considered how vital this base had been to the Earth Forces operations.

"Mission complete!" Yzak said with considerable satisfaction, "So much for the unshakeable base of Artemis."

"Don't get cocky," Rau's voice interrupted, "The Vesalius has been called to back up the ZAFT forces in Orb, return immediately."

"There's a battle going on at Orb?" Nichol gasped, taken aback by the fact they should be given another mission when they had only just completed this one.

"They refused to give up the ship Archangel within the week provided, so ZAFT forces have been forming on the border," Rau answered calmly, "Orb clearly objected to this action, and launched an offensive. The Archangel has been backing them up, and the battle appears to be a tie, for the moment, at least. Hurry back, or else we will not arrive in time to resolve this issue."

"We're on our way." Athrun nodded, swinging the Aegis about and heading back to the mother vessel at maximum speed. Even despite the rush, however, he did not fail to realize he _had _been right back in his father's office that day. Orb had very clearly taken offense at ZAFT's actions, and now they had earned themselves another enemy in this war.

So much for a quick resolution.

"Crap!" Kira heard the shrill siren in his ear as the Strike's power supply became completely depleted, "Lieutenant, I need to get the backup pack!"

"Go ahead, kid," Mu replied breathlessly, "We can hold for a little while."

"But don't take all year!" Caggallie snapped, the strain in her voice easily heard even over the crackling intercom.

Kira obediently turned and sped back towards the Archangel, though a quick glance down at his console had him frowning almost at once. The readings were not good, but his auxiliary engines should get him to the hangar to pick up the new pack...just.

"Kid, look out!" Mu yelled a warning just in time and Kira managed to shoot to the side as a laser blast seared along the right side of the Strike,

"Hell! They have reinforcements?" Caggallie cursed incredulously, using completely inappropriate language for her post.

"It's the ship from before!" Mu gaped, clearly not quite able to believe his eyes, "The Vesalius! How did they get here?"

"Never mind the how! Look out!" Caggallie shrieked as four mobile suits launched from the Vesalius, descending on the battle field at optimum velocity, every one of them armed to the teeth.

"Shit!" Mu swore, disengaging battle with a couple of GOUFs and swinging around to face the new enemy, as aware as Kira was that these enemies were far more formidable. Even if they hadn't been doomed before, there was little doubt they were now.

* * *

"The Zero and a new suit," Nichol stated quietly, "Where's the Strike?"

"Maybe somebody shot the bastard down!" Yzak said hopefully.

"No such luck!" Dearka groaned, "He just launched from Archangel."

"Alright, time to take this jerk down!"

"Wait, _Yzak_!" Athrun yelled, trying to stop his older teammate's reckless actions. But, as had become the usual of late, he was ignored, and Yzak continued heedlessly on his mad path.

"I'll back him up," Nichol offered, fitting into his usual role of fixing his teammates' blunders,"You and Dearka should concentrate on those two."

"Right, let's do this." Dearka shouted, charging towards the Zero.

"I guess that leaves me the new suit." Athrun muttered, lining himself up before the lavender enemy, "What have you got?"

He waited patiently, prepared to let the enemy strike first, and he was not disappointed.

* * *

Caggallie was not a woman renown for patience, as she proved once again when she charged straight at the Aegis, the red machine easily avoiding the headlong attack, spinning around and smacking the back of the Rouge with it's sword.

"Grr," Caggallie pulled back a little, observing the passive stance of her opponent, "Aggravator, eh?" She growled, "Well, I'll teach _you_ not to toy with an Attha!" Pulling out every weapon the Rouge possessed she waited for all of her accessories to charge, before letting loose with everything she had.

* * *

"Crap." Athrun muttered, pushing the Aegis' engines to maximum so he could spin and twirl around the incoming lasers as well as the rockets fired in his directions. For a moment it seemed as though he might have made a mistake in toying with the new pilot, but a few minutes later a grim smile crossed his face as he realized the lavender machine had made the same mistake as Dearka in the previous battle with the Archangel.

"You're out of power." And drawing the Aegis' blade Athrun descended on the helpless suit.

* * *

Caggallie desperately tried to move out of the way, but the Rouge was running on auxiliary power only now, and it's movements were beyond sluggish. "Damn!" She screamed, as she saw the Aegis raise it's blade, closing her eyes as she waited for the inevitable crunch,but the enemy was never given the opportunity,

* * *

"STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!"

Kira smashed into the Aegis from the side at full speed, sending the red suit flying several feet, and immediately moving the Strike into a position that was purely defensive. Kira was about to strike again when he realized the enemy mobile suit was not retaliating, it was just hovering at a distance, as if watching the pair warily, keeping an eye on it Kira opened a line with the Rouge, "You okay, Caggallie?"

"Yeah, I-I think so," She answered shakily, "No permanent damage..."

"Do you have enough power to get back to the Kusanagi?"

"I think so...Thanks, Kira."

"Don't mention it, now get to safety." He switched off the line and turned back to the Aegis, which was still floating in the air at a good distance. Frowning he tightened his grip on the controls, ready for any type of assault, but still the other machine did not move. _Why isn't it attacking?_

"Kira?"

Kira stiffened at once, looking down at his console and wondering how he had gotten onto a channel which the enemy vessel could reach. It must have been something to do with the Strike being set to ZAFT channels, he supposed, but he had a feeling Murdoch should have changed that when the vessel was captured.

"Kira? Is-is it you?"

Kira ground his teeth in chagrin, _that_ explained the hesitance on the other pilot's behalf, before speaking slowly and deliberately, "Yeah, it's me."

"But..." Athrun sounded stumped, but there was anger and disbelief in his tone as he continued, "What do you mean 'it's you'? I thought...you said..."

"I don't want to be a part of this war," Kira replied slowly, knowing full well that his actions must have seemed contradictory with his words at this point and time, and doing his best to explain himself, "But, ZAFT _did_ attack Heliopolis. I don't even know if my parents survived the attack, and if they did, it is almost a sure fact they have been sent to the prisoner colonies." He paused, formulating his argument, "When ZAFT pursued the Archangel you left us with no choice but to flee to Orb, because of the refugees on board the Representative allowed us to land. I don't want to be a part of the war, but I can no longer ignore it, because it has hurt me. I don't want anyone else to go through the sort of terror that happened at Heliopolis, and I am not fighting with the Earth Forces, I am merely protecting Orb."

"But Orb isn't in any danger!" Athrun argued back, "So long as the Archangel surrenders the Strike to ZAFT Orb will be left alone! Heliopolis was only struck because the Earth Forces were utilizing it. The rest of Orb is completely safe, ZAFT has no intentions of attacking any other city."

"Are you so sure?" Kira retorted, "After all, they are building a massive cannon out in space."

"That's for self defense purposes only and...How did you know about that?" Athrun asked suddenly, alarm registering in his voice.

"Orb knows," Kira admitted, knowing there was no way around it now, "That fortress may only be for self defense purposes, but if it is then why is it equipped with a long range cannon? Whilst that fortress is in existence Orb is threatened, and who's to say the Chairman won't strike another city because the Earth Forces are supposedly 'utilizing' it."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"No, but I don't trust your father." Kira replied softly, knowing what tender ground he was treading. It did not matter that that was only because Lacus had told him, he knew. "Someone who ordered the attack of a city where the majority of the populace is civilian isn't going to hesitate about breaking a treaty for the second time is he?" Kira paused, then continued, "And, if you continue to pursue this course of action, then I cannot trust you either."

There was a long pause, before Athrun replied warily, "What course of action?"

"Attacking Orb, of course." Kira was growing impatient.

"We aren't!" his friend insisted, "We only want to retrieve the mobile suit which the Earth Forces stole!"

"By attacking a flaming neutral nation!" Kira yelled, finally losing his temper, "Where is the principles in that? Your father goes on and on about how the PLANTs have acted in self defense for the past year! Bull! They just undid all that work by these acts of the past week. Lacus Clyne and her father have worked hard to get things where they are, yet even now their work is being undone. Orb had become neutral, it wasn't posing any threat, and yet you, ZAFT, attacked. If the Chairman's sentiments were so principled why did he not order an attack on a real threat? Think of all the innocent lives that were lost in Heliopolis! Lives that _you _took."

"Orb should have been more careful," Athrun answered, his voice forcibly calm, "The Earth Forces were using the city as a trade route to get supplies to and from their HQ, we could not overlook the fact that Heliopolis was, even if indirectly, aiding in the assaults on our homeland."

Kira paused, he remembered what Mu had mentioned seeing in the harbor, and the suspicions of Lacus, "Even so," he replied more calmly this time as he tried to at least see some of Athrun's point of view, "The correct course of action would have been to inform Orb of your suspicions. Not just waltz in and trash the place."

"Maybe it wasn't the best course of action, I admit I had my doubts about that myself," that was large admission, and Kira knew Athrun must have realized that before making it, "But when our homes are being threatened with nuclear attack, the quickest option sometimes seems to be the best. You called it the 'terror of Heliopolis', but, you never saw the Seventh Colony, you never saw the tens of thousands people lying in pools of blood spread across space. If you want to protect your home just because of what you saw at Orb, imagine what we feel like!"

Kira did not answer at once, he could understand Athrun's point of view but "Strike and Strike Back."

"What?"

"It's what Lacus says," Kira answered, "Strike and strike back, how will war ever end that way?" There was a long silence after that, and realizing he had just blurted a secret out once again, Kira continued, "Lacus _was_ in Heliopolis, Athrun, she barely escaped alive. She was also aboard the Archangel whilst _your_ team pursued it."

"She wasn't," Athrun retorted hotly, "She _told_ me she left before the attack! Why would she lie?"

"Perhaps because she doesn't trust you." Kira answered coldly, "I even saw her Haro. She has two bodyguards..." He proceeded to describe them in perfect detail, adding in comments about their personality, before concluding, "And, she told me that the first time she went on stage you told her 'not to worry because I won't laugh, who cares if everyone else does.' Is that proof enough for you...Athrun?"

But his only response was silence, and Kira realized he may have just made a terrible mistake.

* * *

Athrun felt his throat constrict, and his hands were trembling on the controls, even as he tried to stop them. _She...lied to me? Whilst SMILING?_ Denial and disbelief ran through his mind, insisting it could not be true, but Kira's final sentence had proved it's authenticity.

"Lacus," he let out a pained whisper, "How could you?"

Then his eyes rose to the console, showing the Strike floating just a few meters away. A scapegoat.

"You're lying!" His voice found new firmness as his mind insisted this wasn't true, "You're lying about everything! Orb wouldn't even be in danger now if you hadn't been there." He paused, drawing the Aegis' saber, "This is all _your fault_!"

* * *

"What the hell is Athrun doing over there!" Yzak growled, as he sent several Orb soldiers to their doom, "_Talking _to the bloody enemy?"

"He's doing sum'tin now." Dearka grunted, as the Aegis suddenly leapt forward and almost decapitated the Strike.

"About bloody time!" Yzak snorted, "Where did the Zero go?"

"Behind you Yzak!" Nichol warned.

Yzak dropped just in time to avoid a well aimed shot by the Zero, joining his two teammates immediately afterwards, though his annoyance was clearly transmitted in his next transmission.

"Dammit!" he growled, "This isn't working! Anyway, Dearka, how did you lose the Strike?"

"Don't push your luck," Dearka retorted, "The guy's good, and if you want my honest opinions, this battle field is a mess!"

"You're right," Nichol agreed, looking at the disarray around them, "The ZAFT troops need to regroup a little, then we'd be a more effective force."

"This team never ceases to amaze me," Rau's cool voice interrupted, startling the entire trio, "But I'm afraid the plans have been put on hold, the Vesalius has a new mission."

"We're leaving this one _again_" Dearka almost shouted in disbelief, and Yzak found himself agreeing. This was madness, leaping about from one mission to another without even completing the first!

"This new mission is the most important so far, return to the Vesalius, ZAFT is withdrawing from the area for the time being."

Rau logged off before Dearka could complain further, and a short while later the retreat flares showed all across the ZAFT forces.

* * *

"They are pulling back?" Caggallie gasped from her position on the bridge of the Kusanagi,

"Alright," Mu's voice came across the com, "Don't attack the retreating enemy, we'll pull back too."

"No! This is the time when we can strike them the hardest, we should..." Caggallie began, but she got no further.

"I'm sorry Representative," Mu shook his head, "ZAFT may be retreating, but we don't exactly have the upper hand. You should order the troops back whilst you can."

"Fine." Caggallie sighed, she was loathe to do this, but inside she knew Mu was right, so ordering the release of the retreat signals she watched as at dawn's first light, the battle finally came to an end.


	16. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Betrayed Trust**

Athrun registered vaguely that Nichol was present, somewhere in the back of his mind, where he still had the capacity to care about such minute details. Knew that he was being watched closely, and that he was probably doing a very poor job of hiding his depression, but right now, he could not find it within himself to care. He was lost deep in his own thoughts, his mind still whirling, and he couldn't get Kira's words out of his head. _Because she doesn't trust you. _But why? He had trusted her, she was the only person he had fully been able to trust since his mother's death, not even his teammates had seen him vulnerable, and yet she didn't trust him. He couldn't understand it, and it was driving him insane. Things had only gotten worse when Rau had announced their latest mission.

_"Lacus Clyne has vanished from the PLANTs, the Chairman is very concerned for her well being, and therefore has commissioned the Vesalius to search for her."_

If Athrun hadn't spoken to Kira he might actually have thought she was in danger, but as it was he could not help but suspect that Lacus had deliberately 'disappeared' and that she was rejoining Orb or something like that. He couldn't understand her motives, and had therefore concluded it must have been something she saw or heard during her stay in Heliopolis and aboard the Archangel, it was just so out of character. _Or perhaps it isn't. Perhaps she's been lying to me all these years, just to get information. She did seem overly keen..._

* * *

Nichol sat with his legs crossed on his bed, eyes anxiously watching his companion, and lips constantly bordering on the edge of uttering a word. Athrun had come here as soon as the battle was over, and since then he had neither moved or said a single word, sitting still, his back leaning against one end of the bunk, whilst his eyes focussed blankly on the other. Nichol wanted to help badly, but he could think of nothing to do or say, so he sat in silence, hoping Athrun would speak of his own accord. Something that, as the minutes passed, was becoming increasingly less likely.

"Hey, Athrun?" Nichol could stay silent no longer, and spoke gently, hoping to draw his teammate out of his catatonic state, "I'm sure Lacus will be okay,we'll...we'll find her." Athrun only sighed, so Nichol continued, "I'm going to the cafeteria, you uh, you want to come?"

Athrun shook his head,either unable or unwilling to give a verbal response, so Nichol was left with no other choice but to rise and leave, casting one last anxious look back at his roommate before stepping outside the room. He paused for a moment in the passage outside, trying to puzzle out the reason for Athrun's abnormal behavior. He had seen his friend worried before, but Athrun had never become so introverted, and half the time now it was like he didn't know the world around him existed at all. Yet Nichol could find no clear reason for it, or any way to combat it. Pushing himself off the closed door he reluctantly made his way to the cafeteria, reasoning that if he didn't he would be making himself a liar, even if that _had_ just been a ploy to try and get Athrun to do _something_. Lost in thought he mechanically grabbed a tray and prepared to move over to one of the tables, but no sooner had he picked it up then he heard voices, and a moment later Dearka and Yzak came in, obviously in deep discussion. Not knowing why he did it Nichol ducked behind one of the tables, just in time to avoid being spotted.

"Come on, Yzak, drop it, will ya?" Dearka's bass tone filled the room, sounding slightly disturbed, and only half hearted in his request. The response was typically Yzak, but even _his _tone didn't sound quite right.

"No, I won't! Something is definitely up. They hovered for _thirty_ minutes without doing anything, there's something he is not telling us!"

"He's not obliged to give us an update about every personal detail of his life." Dearka's tone was heavily layered with sarcasm.

"Shut up, Elsman, and listen." Yzak's tone was not really angry, more like just intense, and Nichol frowned, wondering why the pair of them were acting so odd. Was it something in the air or what? "After the attack on Heliopolis, Athrun was acting queer, we all assumed it was because of the news about Lacus. But, this time, he started acting strange _before_ we even knew about it. Now how do you figure that out?"

"Maybe he has the 'people in love' sixth sense?"

"Don't be stupid, Dearka, if you can help it. I wouldn't have suspected anything either, had it not been for his behavior around the Strike. I think I've finally figured out what's going on. Athrun _knows_ the pilot." Nichol stiffened at that pronouncement, denying, and yet at the same time realizing the merit in his teammate's announcement. Dearka must have seen it too, for his response came after hesitance, and his words were only a token protest.

"Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions, Yzak? For starters, Athrun's never been to Heliopolis, how could he meet somebody from there?"

"He attended school on the lunar colonies, you know that as well as I, and many inhabitants travelled to Orb for refuge. It really isn't that hard to believe."

"I still think you're going overboard...' Dearka's voice trailed away as the two older pilots left the room, and cautiously, Nichol straightened, setting his tray of food down on the table he had been hiding behind. For a moment he considered just leaving it there, but knowing how precious supplies could be he eventually squashed that desire, and sat down. He ate it as quickly as possible, however, barely tasting what passed through his mouth, then deposited the tray and began to hurry back towards his quarters.

_I need to talk to Athrun, before the Commander starts to hear of this._

He was stopped in his tracks,however, as a voice rang out over the microphone, and he realized with alarm that he was already too late.

"All hands prepare for docking procedures!"

* * *

"So, Lacus is on her way back in a ZAFT ship?"

"Apparently, kid," Mu finished changing out of his pilot suit, "They're going to dock at the Amigo Port, you know, the one that serves all three sides and is therefore exempted from hostilities. Kind of the opposite to Orb really."

"Hmm."

"Hey, you alright, kid?"

"What?" Kira started, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little bit worried about Caggallie."

"What about her?" Mu was giving him a searching, almost knowing look, and Kira felt compelled to answer.

"Well," he paused, searching for the right words, "Her mother died whilst she was still fairly young, and then she lost her father when someone bombed the Attha residence. Ahmed was her only real friend, and he died protecting her some while back. Caggallie and I, we didn't know we were siblings till about a year back when a maid found the birth certificate in a box of Lord Uzumi's belongings. I tried really hard to bridge the gap of the years, but Caggallie wanted nothing of it, although I'm sure she's fond of me, even if she has a strange way of expressing it, she won't let me introduce her to anyone else, and even around me she never shows her complete, true self. I think...I think she's planning to avenge their deaths somehow and, to be honest, it worries me. You saw what she was like on the battlefield, and I think one day she'll take a risk that is too great."

Mu scratched his head thoughtfully, before asking quietly, "Who killed them?"

"There wasn't too much evidence, but they believe it was ZAFT or Earth Forces operatives who planted the bomb and attempted to snipe Caggallie when they accidentally hit Ahmed."

"That would explain her reckless behavior in that last battle," Mu mused, "And she does seem a little cold, doesn't she?"

Kira nodded and sighed, "She's just shut the world out."

"Well, I'm sure she'll be fine," Mu patted the younger man on the shoulder, though Kira had the impression he simply didn't have anything else to offer, "In the meantime the Archangel is headed to Amigo to meet with Miss Clyne, so, enjoy the ride!"

* * *

Amigo was a port that specialized in trade, and the busy market filled with prospective buyers and sellers proved the point. Lacus Clyne had easily disguised herself, wearing her long hair in a tight braid which made it appear much shorter then it was, and also wearing sunglasses to hide her blue eyes. She stood in one of the few places which were quiet, a small courtyard at the very centre of the plaza, which was decorated only with a simple fountain, a place hardly anybody bothered to enter. She knew that Andrew and Martin were covering the entrances anyway, and only the messenger would be able to get in.

"Lacus?"

"Kira!" She got up and removed her shades, smiling brightly as always, a sense of relief filling her at seeing the young man alive. Word of the battle at Orb had reached her before _she_ even reached Earth, and she had been concerned both for the country, and the people she had met from it. "It is good to see you again. I hear you partook in a battle the other day, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," He answered quickly, "What about you? What did you find in the PLANTs?"

"Quite a lot," Lacus replied grimly, sitting down again, and watching him out of the corner of her eye. His gaze was settled intently on her, and nothing else, a notion which was not entirely...unpleasant. "I believe I have discovered the real reason behind the attack on Heliopolis, but I can't be sure yet so I shan't say anything more."

"Do you have any idea how infuriating that is?" Kira scolded.

"Of course," She smiled innocently, then turned to the door, "I shall be alright now, Andrew, Martin, please return to the Eternal." The pair nodded and carefully closed the door, leaving the young pair alone. It seemed to be becoming a habit for them to do so lately, but Lacus quashed that thought before it could even fully take form.

"Now then," she said, patting the bench beside where she was sitting, "Tell me everything that has been happening since I was gone, then I shall tell you all I know."

So Kira recounted the series of events that had transpired since the songstress' departure, and in turn she told him what she had done in PLANTs, omitting any relevant information about her suspicions, to Kira's utmost annoyance, something that was blatantly obvious in the depths of his amethyst eyes.

"I didn't like lying to Athrun," She concluded regretfully, smothering a sigh, "But it was necessary."

"_Necessary_?"

The voice was bordering on furious, and the startled pair turned around to face the intruder, only to come face to face, with Athrun Zala.

* * *

Andrew and Martin slid through the bustling crowds in the market, both moving as ambiguously as possible, and in silence. Both of them knew the other was not entirely comfortable with leaving Lacus alone, and both knew there was no way they could have stopped her if she wished to be so. It was part of their task they had become well accustomed to since retiring from active duty to serve Siegel Clyne and his daughter, and though they might not like it, both of them knew better than to argue. There was no real danger apparent, anyway, so they said nothing. Until, that is, Martin saw fit to break tradition and voice his concerns.

"Do you think they'll be okay by themselves?" he asked anxiously, glancing over his shoulder, though the grotto was well beyond sight by now.

"Yeah, the kid's a Coordinator after all," Andrew replied, keeping his voice deliberately indifferent, "And Haro usually warns Lacus of danger, besides...Oh, shit!"

Martin was surprised to find himself tugged out of the crowd into a dark side alley, Andrew crouching down in the mire to be completely hidden from sight.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, kneeling beside his friend, knowing better than to ask before copying his superior's actions.

"Captain Ades of the Vesalius," Andrew hissed back ,"What the hell is he doing here?"

* * *

The two rose off the bench, and Kira immediately positioned himself protectively before Lacus, not pausing to consider why he had to do it. The look of rage on Athrun's face was enough, and whilst he did not think the young man would ever act in a way to harm either of them...well, he had been wrong before.

"What's going on here, Lacus?" Athrun demanded angrily, ignoring Kira completely, "First of all you lie about Heliopolis, then you vanish from PLANTs, and then you show up here," He quickly appraised Kira's uniform, "With an Orb soldier, nonetheless."

"Athrun," Kira was slightly surprised at the firmness of Lacus's voice as she stepped around him and faced her fiance sternly, "Perhaps it was wrong to lie to you, but how did you really expect me to trust you, when we all know you report directly to the Chairman? Chairman Zala is a man I no longer have faith in, not just because of the attack on Heliopolis, but because of other shady dealings which have yet to come fully to light. You must understand that I couldn't risk you exposing me to your father."

"What the hell do you mean 'perhaps it was wrong?'" Athrun's eyes flashed angrily, "Do you have any idea how much trust I had in you? I thought...You could have come to me! Do you really believe I would have.._betrayed _you if I thought what you were doing was not wrong? Unless what you were doing _was_ wrong, Lacus? And what do you mean 'shady dealings?' I suppose you've been listening to the same blatant lies Kira has!"

"The information from Orb is not a lie," Lacus answered calmly, her voice soft, persuasive, and Kira prayed in silence she would make Athrun see reason, a possibility that was visibly growing slimmer by the moment, "I have seen the truth of what they are saying with my own eyes, and you would too, if you decided to open yours. Athrun," Her firm voice dropped to a whisper, "I don't want to hurt you, believe me, but I cannot go along with this."

"Just come back," Athrun's voice was pleading now, and Kira could read the desperation in his eyes. He didn't want to have another friend as an enemy. That thought caught Kira by surprise, because, until now, he had not considered himself to _be_ Athrun's enemy. "Please, Lacus, just come home."

"Home?" Lacus raised a quizzical eyebrow, and Kira could practically see her swallowing her own misgivings as she continued,"Home is not home anymore, Athrun, not whilst your father wishes to use me as a pawn. I can't stay in the PLANTs, or else I shall come to the same fate as my father. I am going back to Orb, to do what I can from there. This war must be stopped, so _I_ must go to Orb."

"With Kira." Athrun's voice was bitter, and his eyes shot accusations at the pair, "I trusted you, Lacus, and what do you do? You turn around and do what you please behind my back!"

"Athrun, open your eyes!" Kira interrupted angrily, not liking the accusations his friend was throwing at Lacus, "Can't you see what's going on here? Your father doesn't want what's best for the world! He just wants to take the world over! That's all we are trying to stop, please, come with us." Athrun's eyes widened, and Kira leapt at what he saw as a chance, no matter how slim,"Just come with us to Orb, Athrun," he said persuasively, "Come and see for yourself what it is like. Can't you see the corruption, the lies? I don't want to fight you, but if you continue to stand on the side of ZAFT and the Chairman, I won't have a choice."

Athrun did not reply for a long time, but when he did his voice was cold and sarcastic, "Oh, sure, Kira, I'll just give everything up, and come with you shall I?" His voice was scornful, "I am a ZAFT soldier, and I will not simply walk away from my nation to fight on the side of some idealistic bunch of traitors! Lacus, you're a ZAFT person too, you're not a soldier, but you're a peace keeper. Stay with us, we need you more here!"

Lacus took a step away from him, and laid a hand on Kira's shoulder, "I'm sorry."

"Y-you're leaving?" Athrun's voice carried disbelief, "How can you just walk away?"

"It was not an easy decision to make," Lacus sighed, "But for that reason I stand by it."

"I...I mean so little to you?" The accusation rang clearly, and Kira saw Lacus flinch.

"That's not it," She insisted, "I do care for you, but for that reason I can't stand idly by."

"You lied to me once," Athrun said acidly, "Why should I believe you this time?"

"Because I'm telling the truth!" It was the first time Kira had heard Lacus' voice as anything but soft, but now it was frantic, and the beseeching gesture she made as she stretched out her hand only added emphasis, "Please, Athrun, I swear to you I am not lying! Leaving the PLANTs, well, it was the only choice I had left! Your father, he would have kept me from doing what I must do had I stayed there."

"And maybe he would have been right to do so, seeing as what you are doing now!"

"Athrun," this was looking to turn into a full blown argument, but Kira could do nothing but stand back and watch, "I know you don't believe in what you did at Heliopolis, I know _you_. It's not something you would do had the choice been left in your hands. Don't you see what that means? I'm sure you spoke to your father about it, you must have, but he wouldn't listen! He doesn't listen to anyone now, he just _uses _people, he's using you as a weapon, and if I stayed in the PLANTs he would use me too!"

Lacus trailed off, clearly uncertain as to how her words were being taken, and no wonder, for Athrun's face had become stone, his voice completely devoid of any emotion whatsoever when he answered.

"You are a traitor."

"Athrun?" Lacus' tone was uncertain, even alarmed, but he hardly waited for her to speak before continuing vehemently.

"My father may have made mistakes, and I don't deny that attacking Heliopolis was one of them, but he is _still_ the Chairman of the PLANTs, and you have no right to judge him because you see things differently! I'm not stupid enough to believe that someone who turns their back on their homeland, rather than trying to rectify a problem when they see it, is trustworthy."

"It's not something I could fix!" Lacus persisted, though her voice was quickly growing desperate, "He would have had me killed!"

The look of stunned shock on Athrun's face punctuated the silence for a moment, before he replied quietly, "You don't know that."

"I don't." She admitted, "But it's what I believe."

" You believe my father would..." his voice trailed away, then he shook his head, abruptly taking several steps backwards, and when he raised his gaze, Kira almost flinched at what he saw there, "Do you remember what I said to you on the PLANTs, Lacus? Well, I take it back. Your friendship isn't worth anything! And the next time we meet on the battlefield, I won't hesitate to pull the trigger."

"But, Athrun!"

"Shut up!" She froze, the words were so out of character, the angry, bitter expression of betrayal, but he wouldn't understand, wouldn't let her explain, "I've had it with empty promises and false hopes! If that's the only thing you were going to give me you should have just left me alone! You know what is worse than living in darkness? To be pulled into the light by what you believe to be a redeemer, only to find a scheming _witch_! You would call my father a murderer without proof, without any evidence whatsoever, just to make me see things your way! Well, you can have your way, go with Kira, but don't _ever_ ask me to forgive you."

He did not wait for a response, spinning abruptly on his heel and storming out of the courtyard, the gate swinging shut with a loud 'thwack' behind him. Kira looked after him in shock, unable to quite reconcile the angry, bitter young man with the boy he had once known, then down at Lacus. Her lower lip was trembling visibly, and suddenly without warning she burst into tears, crying against his shoulder.

With nothing else he was able to do, Kira found himself wrapping his arms around her, and whispering words that he himself did not even believe, "It'll be okay, everything will be okay."


	17. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: The Strings of the Master**

"Damn."

His fist collided with the thick, reinforced glass, rewarding him with a sharp belt of pain and a loud bang, both of which he ignored, repeating the action over and over, and contemplating somewhere in the back of his mind whether he should kick the stupid thing as well, just to vent his emotions more effectively.

"Damn, damn, _damn_. Damn them both to hell!"

But the problem was he didn't mean that, he didn't mean it...did he? He was angry, he was point blank furious, but did he actually _hate_ them? Taking an unsteady step backwards he stared at his own, haunted reflection in the dark glass of the observatory, trying to sort out the whirlwind that _was_ what he was feeling.

Lacus had gone. She had betrayed him. Kira had betrayed him. Kira had _killed_ his friends. And Lacus...Lacus had called his _father _a murderer. What had she expected? For him to calmly accept that and merrily come along with her? He hadn't been able to protect his mother, and he knew that he had failed, somehow, in his father's eyes, in his capacity as a son, but that didn't mean he didn't care, that didn't mean he could just walk away the moment his father made a decision he did not agree with. It would hardly be the first time, he wasn't foolish enough to believe it was, but for Lacus to name him a _killer_. It was a war, people died, that did not make his father a murderer anymore than it made _him_ a murderer. _But are you so certain you are not one?_

He shook his head viciously to dodge that thought, moving back closer to the glass and pressing his palm against it, trying to see through the descending darkness of the night. He could not so easily desert his loyalties, and he could not believe Lacus, of all people, had done so. Right now, with her father missing, she should have been the one to stay in the PLANTs, to be the voice of reason Siegel could not, the counterpart to the Chairman he had always been, and yet she had run away. Left him. And that, if he was truthful with himself, was the crux of the matter. She had left, run away, and had he not bumped into her by accident, she would never even have _told_ him. She had _lied_ to him, and then called it necessary. Since when was it _necessary _to lie? To him, of all people! He had never lied to her, never. If it was a truth he did not want her to know he simply did not mention it, but he _did not_ lie, but she had, and then attempted to sanctify it!

And Kira, Kira was a complete and utter hypocrite. Going on and on about how attacking Heliopolis was immoral, when he himself was flying a stolen machine. They had only been trying to get it back, to protect their own, and yet he had been unwilling to make the slightest of compromises. It was as if nobody understood the concept of loyalty anymore, the concept of _friendship. _It had been bad enough that they had both done what they did in the first place, but then to expect him to desert as well, and to give such a reason...

"My father is not a killer."

The words sounded hollow, strangely apt, because that was how he felt. Confused, hurt, betrayed, and _empty_. There was no one left to turn to anymore, he had been cast adrift, because he _knew _he could not speak with his father, not in that way. He had no one to turn to anymore, no one, and the only thing he _could _do was to stand by the decision he had made. The military had been a way to please his father, but it had also been a way for him to protect what was left of his family, it was the decision that had defined his life from his fifteenth birthday, and it was the only thing he had left. He could not turn his back on it now, or his father, because if he did, he would have nothing.

He tried to ignore the voice that told him that eventuality had already happened.

* * *

"Hey, um, Athrun?"

Rau watched with interest as Nichol's attempt to address his captain went completely unnoticed, in actual fact, the youngest of the Le Creuset team had not been noticed at all, let alone his words. Rau was not oblivious to the reason for that, though he had not anticipated the move Miss Clyne had made, it had certainly worked in his favor in relation to the living weapons scheme. The confrontation, unfortunately the start of which he had missed, had left the young pilot confused, angry, and more than a little depressed, the perfect moulding ground, now that the provider of morals, Lacus Clyne, had so conveniently removed herself from the scene. Lacus had been the main obstacle for some time, but she had been too obvious a figure to destroy when she had such influence over the pilot, but now she had done extremely well in delivering that same influence into Rau's hands.

"My thanks, Miss Clyne."

Folding his hands beneath his chin as he sunk further into the corner of the cafeteria he watched Nichol shift in his seat, his frown pensive. From experience the Commander knew that the youngest of the team would seek out trouble and try to placate it, something that made him another wrench in the works, but whatever influence to the detriment of Rau's plans he might have had seemed gone now, especially when the subject of his attention would not even acknowledge him. He could see the frustration beginning to work it's way across the youngest pilot's face, something that, surprisingly, did not go unnoticed by the rest of the team either. Yzak had placed his drink down with a good deal more force than necessary, and was currently glaring over Dearka's shoulder in the direction of the other half of the team, whilst Dearka himself had turned around once, shrugged, and turned back to his meal. They were all unsettled then, which made the situation all the better for him.

"Athrun..." Nichol tried again, one last time it seemed, for when he went ignored again he rose abruptly, depositing his tray before leaving the room, a slight tautness to his shoulders indicating that he might have been offended at his teammate's lack of acknowledgement. The older two went a moment later, and Rau, who had been awaiting the moment, took his opportunity in both hands.

"You seem troubled, Athrun."

No matter how well he could exclude the others from his mind, Athrun Zala was attuned to responding to figures of authority, and he had bounced to his feet in a salute so fast that even the Commander was taken aback, though that surprise quickly dwindled away into pleasure. Patrick Zala had done his task better than he had assumed, even if he had not known it was his task at all.

"Sit down, pilot," he advised, purposefully keeping his voice soft, "You are still off duty, remember?"

"Oh, right...of course, sir." not looking at all settled the young man took a seat opposite him, his hands beneath the table, though Rau was still well aware they were twitching. Oh, yes, the girl had done a marvelous job. If only he knew what the other boy's role in this was, he could pull the strings even more effectively.

"Now, then," the same passive tone, lightened from his normal cold one, but, he had discovered, often just as effective when used correctly, "What seems to be the problem?"

"Problem, sir?" The mask the young man wore was almost as effective as Rau's physical one, but his tense shoulders betrayed the innocence he displayed.

"Come now, Athrun, there is no need to pretend," he tried to make the tone kinder, more understanding, more like the Clynes, perhaps, and less like the father figure, "It is easy to see something is on your mind. Are you worried about Miss Clyne?" a flinch, barely perceptible, but still there, "I am sure there is no need to be overly concerned. After all, she is with her two bodyguards, is she not?"

"Yeah," The response was muttered, "I guess."

"I know the hunt was called off prematurely," this seemed to be the best course of action to take, "But apparently Orb has received some back up."

Of course, he wasn't going to admit that it was he who had informed the Chairman of that in the first place, something he should not have known of until the Eternal actually made it's appearance. The Clyne Faction's members were not all as loyal as Siegel might have liked to believe, though the man had discovered that first hand, and Rau had made full use of his persuasive skills to make sure every spy would do precisely as asked. Ah, yes, he was the master, and all these puppets didn't even know they had been tied to him. The mention of 'back up' had the desired affect on his current target, in any case, for one could almost hear the Coordinator before him's teeth grinding in his effort to control himself. The eyes were downcast as well, and Rau allowed a feeling of triumph to begin to grow. The sweet taste of success.

"From what I hear," he continued calmly, "The people who have gone to Orb are defectors from ZAFT, traitors who believe the Chairman is responsible for Clyne's disappearance. Did you ever hear such nonsense? They are simply trying to justify their actions, when in truth they are cowards, afraid to fight, and using the excuse of wanting peace."

"Are you saying that wanting peace is wrong, sir?" the tone was tremulous and conflicted, hidden beneath layers of shielding, but easy to hear for the practiced ear.

"Of course not. But, on the other hand, to defect from one's country is not in the best interests of ensuring that peace, is it?" The emerald eyes were focussed on him now, and Rau continued without pause, employing his skills to their maximum effect, "I have heard many people proclaim they wish a quick end to this war, some by negotiation, some, as we soldiers do, by battle. None of us want it to continue, and in our different ways we try to prevent it. Regretfully, sometimes those intentions can lead us astray, but we can always claim that we have the best interests of our country, of our people, at heart. But what of these traitors? They say they leave because they want peace, but peace for whom? Certainly not the PLANTs, for they have deserted their homeland, turned their back on their people to further their own selfish goals.

We'll go to Orb, they think, fight for Orb. It's protected by the treaty, and if we fight ZAFT, the side which _they_ believe is going to lose, then we can side with the Earth Forces should they triumph. And well, if ZAFT wins, Orb is a neutral nation, only protecting itself, so how can they be punished for their actions then? These people say they want peace, but in actual fact all they really want is to be on the winning side, to not suffer should their people suffer. Deserters, people who could not care less about those to whom they owe their allegiance, but who throw all their beliefs, all their loyalties, everything they might once have seemed to hold dear away to pursue their own goals. I have spoken to many people who have had to face the fact their friends and families are traitors, and all of them say the same thing."

"And that is, sir?" The young pilot was almost trembling now, restraining himself with a visible effort, though his voice was amazingly level.

"They all say that they cannot believe it," he sighed, allowing his shoulders to droop slightly with the motion, "That they believe these people held up the principles of their homeland, that they loved it, that many of them were a part of the Peace Committee, they could not possibly be traitors. And yet, it seems that organization is behind most of it. It makes me wonder if Siegel Clyne is really the man he makes himself out to be."

"He's always been an advocate for peace," the protest was only half hearted, and Rau knew then for certain he had won, "Why would he be helping traitors?"

"Siegel Clyne has always been most interested in preserving the lives of his people," Rau said smoothly, "I did not want to share this with you, for fear of...upsetting you, but now that Lacus has gone missing I fear it must come out. It has become apparent that Miss Clyne's disappearance may not have been accidental..."

"What are you saying?"

"Well, there has been evidence found..." he hesitated, purposefully drawing out the moment, "That Siegel Clyne may have been negotiating a deal with the Earth Forces, that would see the people of the PLANTs spared, if he helped hand the military over to the Earth Alliance on a platter."

"That's..." Athrun trailed off, his face contorting in his effort to remain composed, "That's not possible, he wouldn't..."

"I'm sorry to have to share that with you," he said gently, rising and walking about the table to lay a hand on the young man's shoulder, "But it is possible that Miss Clyne discovered her father's scheme, and tried to put an end to it. After all, I am certain that she could not have been a part of it, not when she was so very obviously loyal to you."

"Sir, why..." Athrun hesitated, but when he continued Rau was sure it was not the question he had been going to ask, "Why are you telling me this?"

"We have orders to return to Orb and help fight off these traitors, who are aiding that country in driving us away,preventing us from reclaiming the Strike," he paused, lifting a hand to rub his chin, "I wanted to be certain you understood the situation before you were plunged into it. I know how loyal you are to the PLANTs and the Chairman, but I am also sure you would want to know why you were fighting your comrades."

There was a pause, a pause where he was not so certain he had triumphed, but at last the young pilot shook his head, his words unknowingly tying the knot of his strings.

"They aren't my comrades anymore."


	18. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Shattered Horizons**

The crew of the Archangel were assembled in the spacious lounge of the Eternal, one of ZAFT's fastest and most up to date vessels, watching in collective disbelief the lies forming on Patrick Zala's lips.

"I know there has been much speculation about the attack on Heliopolis," The Chairman said sadly, his eyes fixed earnestly on the camera, "And that many people have been pointing the finger at ZAFT, saying we were wrong to attack, that it was an act that broke good faith given, that we cost innocent lives. I did not come forward earlier to address this issues, as many demanded I should, because I did not have sufficient evidence, but now, the truth must come to light. The true reason for Orb's treaty request was so that they could aid the Earth Alliance in the secretive manufacturing of several nuclear warheads, with which they planned to strike the PLANTs. I had suspected for a long time that Orb had been planning this, that their reasons for remaining neutral were not wholly honest, and for that reason when I discovered the Earth Alliance active in the area I decided to launch the offensive. Siegel Clyne also suspected something, and ever since he spoke thus he has gone missing. I regret to announce to you all, that whilst on concert in Heliopolis Lacus Clyne also became a witness to these events, and due to this, Orb has kidnapped her."

There was a shocked ripple around the lounge, and Kira found himself quite in awe of the look of absolute fury on Lacus' face, but Patrick Zala could neither hear or see these things, so he continued unperturbed.

"This is a great loss to all the PLANTs and the Earth, for we valued her very much, and I must say I am disgusted with Orb for resorting to such despicable behavior. Kidnapping an innocent girl, just so she could not tell anyone what she had seen? That nation should be ashamed of itself! I had planned on sending Orb conditions under which their treaty would be reinstated, but now, after these hostile actions, I have no choice but to assume an offensive stance. I send a warning to all Coordinators living in Orb, you may come to the PLANTs if you wish to avoid the conflict that will now begin in this so called 'neutral nation'," The Chairman turned then, directly towards the screen, "I warn you, Orb, the assault will come in two hours, you had better be prepared."

Andrew switched off the screens, and for a moment silence reigned, before Caggallie exploded, "What a load of blatant lies! How can he keep a straight face! The *^&&^" Caggallie was cut short as Kisaki placed a hand over her mouth before more rude utterances could exit her lips.

"I don't know what has happened to the PLANTs," Lacus sighed audibly, adding softly, "We used to be such a principled nation, but now?" She shook her head, at a loss for words.

"But Athrun knows what the guy is saying isn't true, right?" Kira said hopefully, "He'll realize what's going on, right, Lacus?"

"No," She shook her head,eyes carrying far too much pain for her young age, and a sort of defeat that was almost alarming to see in those bright eyes, now dulled, "How do you think they knew I came to Orb?"

"You mean..." Kira's eyes widened, "He thinks you were kidnapped?"

"Or he is willing to let his father proclaim that," Lacus sighed again, "At the moment, I think he would be willing to do that."

"Just because...?"

"Don't judge him, Kira," She replied gently, laying a restraining hand on his arm as soon as she saw his fists clench, the look in her eyes enough to silence his protests, "You have no idea what he has been through."

"Uh, what exactly are you two talking about?" Caggallie interrupted in annoyance. She hated to not know what was going on, and when both the culprits replied 'nothing' she frowned even more, but let it drop anyway. "Well, I guess we had better prepare for an assault. Kisaki, can you tell those idiots in cabinet to declare Orb a danger zone and have everyone sent to shelters, also send a message to General Todaka that we will need the last third of the Orb fleet sent out."

"Yes, ma'am." Kisaki hurried away to do as she asked, whilst Caggallie turned to Murrue.

"I hope you will continue to support us, Captain...?"

"The Archangel is at your disposal, Representative," Murrue nodded, "At this point in time, I can see that is the only right thing to do. The Earth Alliance and the PLANTs have shown themselves beyond doubt to no longer be trustworthy."

"Thank you," Caggallie gave her a brief smile, "Miss Clyne, will the Eternal be aiding in the next battle?"

"Affirmative," Lacus nodded, removing her hand from Kira's arm as she turned to address those gathered as a whole, "I will be on the bridge myself, and Andrew has brought his old mobile suit, so he will lead the other pilots loyal to the Clyne faction."

"Very good," Caggallie agreed determinedly, "Do we have any idea where ZAFT will strike?"

"We have large heat sources approaching from the north-west." Arnold said, transmitting from the bridge of the Archangel, "Captain, I think it may be best if you return to the vessel."

"Right," Murrue said quickly, turning to her comrades as she added, "Natarle, Kira, Mu?"

"Coming."

The latter two spoke as one, but Natarle hesitated, looking doubtful, "Do you really think we should continue to support a country that is at odds with the Earth Alliance?" She asked tentatively.

"Orb took us in when no one else would," Murrue answered firmly, "Besides, Orb has principles that I don't think this world can afford to lose."

"But it's not our duty to protect them!" Natarle argued back.

"No, it's not," Murrue paused and shook her head, "But I couldn't face my conscience, if this country fell for my lack of action."

Natarle scowled, but said nothing more, instead she quickened her pace and stormed past. Murrue paused, watching the older woman's retreating form, before letting her shoulders droop and heaving a sigh.

"You did the right thing," Mu patted her on the shoulder, giving her a grin both reassuring and cocky at the same time.

"I hope so," Murrue sighed deeply, "If not, this will be my biggest mistake yet."

"Hey, I have faith in you," Mu grinned patronizingly, "Shall we go?"

"Yes," Murrue smiled back, then paused, "Wait, where is Kira?"

"Oh, he's coming," Mu smiled to himself, "He's just saying goodbye to somebody."

* * *

"You sure about this?" Kira asked Lacus in worried tones, not even bothering to hide his concern. He was worried about her, and she needed to know that. "I mean, I don't doubt your ability or anything ,don't get me wrong, but if the PLANTs lose you now they are doomed."

"No, they won't be, Kira," Lacus cocked her head and smiled, "Not whilst people like you are still alive."

"But.." He was hushed when she placed a slim finger over his mouth, his eyes widening dramatically.

"I'll be fine," She said, a slight twinkle in her eyes, "_You_ take care of yourself, okay?"

Kira sighed, and, realizing he was fighting a losing battle, he merely nodded, "I will."

"Promise me," She leant forward and gave him a peck on the cheek, "You'll be careful?"

"I will, you take care too."

Kira gave her hand a squeeze, then hurried away, his footsteps receding into the distance. Only once he was well and truly gone did Andrew and Martin approach their leader, the former speaking crisply. "You ready, Miss Lacus?"

"It is time ZAFT was reminded of the principles we are supposed to uphold." Nodding she turned and stretched out her hand, Andrew immediately placing the captain's badge within her palm, "For my father," she said firmly, "And his beliefs. May honor never die."

* * *

"Finally, we get to finish this mission!" Dearka said gleefully, "And this time the Strike _will_ fall."

"Right," Athrun nodded, not noticing the funny look Yzak shot him, "But don't forget the extra suits we will be facing. The Tiger is not a machine to be underestimated, and the mobile suit from Orb is also a formidable opponent, not to mention the Zero."

"A good point," Rau gave an approving smile, "Although it is 'unfortunate' that Miss Clyne ended up being used by Orb," Athrun knew why his father had declared it as kidnapping, or he thought he did. The news that Lacus had betrayed them would destroy morale, but it made it difficult to explain why Andrew and Martin would be fighting them. "We cannot stand by idly, even if she is present. As Athrun has pointed out, all four of the enemy leading suits are well equipped, therefore, I think you shall have one each." He paused for a moment, running an eye thoughtfully over the group.

"Nichol, you shall fight the Zero, it is an Earth Alliance vessel, so you should have little qualms about facing it."

"Thank you, sir," Nichol said, clearly grateful, yet somewhat embarrassed he could be so easily read.

Rau turned to Yzak, "I think we shall put you against the Tiger, he is veteran, and will need someone who can pull off a few new tricks. I trust you remember what you learned in Class Eleven?"

"Of course, sir." Yzak stated with arrogant confidence that almost made Athrun wince. That confidence was going to get him into a situation he could not get out of one day, Athrun just hoped it wasn't today.

"Good." Rau turned to Dearka, "You will have the mobile suit from Orb, try a bit of antagonism, the pilot seems to suffer from a foul temper."

Dearka grinned mischievously, but said nothing.

"And that leaves you, Athrun," Rau's voice had a slight edge, barely audible, but definitely there, "The Strike. Think you can handle it?"

"It would be my pleasure, Commander." Athrun saluted, the words honest, and Rau smiled in satisfaction.

"Good. You should ready yourselves, there are only ten minutes left till we strike."

"Yeah, I still don't see why we should _announce_ we are coming," Dearka said with a frown, "Doesn't it spoil the element of surprise?"

Rau only smiled again, "Don't worry, the Vesalius has a few tricks up it's sleeve. Go to your machines now, but do not launch until you are given the order. Oh, and, prepare your marine option." Ignoring the quizzical expression on his team's face Rau turned back to the bridge console, and the man in charge of the ship, "Alright, Ades, prepare to submerge."

* * *

"Launching, in three, two, one!" There was a boom of engines igniting, and the Orb arsenal took to the sky as a collective unit, spreading out across the pale blue. They were positioned in the centre, on their left was the Archangel, backed up by Orb's third fleet, and on the right, the somewhat smaller, but more effective Clyne Faction, the Coordinators in that group making them just as strong as their more numerous counterparts.

"I'm getting about a score of ships on my radar," Andrew announced grimly, adding darkly, "All second class cruisers."

"What about the flagship?" Murrue asked from the bridge of her vessel, once more in her element, "Where is it?"

"I'm sorry, they don't seem to have one."

"That's weird," Lacus said thoughtfully from her own position on the Eternal's, "I was sure the Vesalius would enter battle."

"Well, maybe they got held up?" Caggallie suggested, sounding irritated, more than interested, "In any case, secondary or not, those ships are firing!"

Streaks of energy tore across the sky, some finding a target, but most leaping harmlessly off the shields of the Kusanagi, the Eternal and the Archangel.

"Alright," Kisaki ordered, "Return fire! concentrate on the closest enemy vessels! Caggallie, tell the forces to drop."

"_Plunge_!"

Caggallie yelled, and all the soldiers obeyed without question. The enemy vessels were not so lucky, a score of GOUFs and one of the cruisers caught in the inescapable lasers, joining the myriads of wreckage already lining the ocean floor. This place had become a graveyard, though it could not be seen from above. The laser blasts were quickly followed up by Orb's more mobile vessels, and with Caggallie leading the charge they dealt a decimating blow to the ZAFT front line forces, driving further and further forward until they were in the middle of the enemy fleet. It was only then, when the exhilarating charge finally ended, that Caggallie realized her own foolishness. She was far away from any of her friends and allies, with the enemy army closing in on them.

"What the hell was I thinking?" She muttered, before she spotted a weak spot in the net, and instantly rattled off her next command, "Two o'clock, right now!" Without question her soldiers fell in behind her, and then burst out of the trap, joining the rest of their allies on the outside.

"These guys aren't putting up much of a fight." Andrew muttered suspiciously, his voice almost too low to be picked up on the intercom.

"Yeah, it's almost like they want to die." Mu replied, gazing about the battlefield for some sign of foul play.

Caggallie followed his example, though to all appearances the ZAFT forces were giving it their all, when she had actually engaged the enemy she had found their movement particularly sluggish for Coordinators. This wasn't like the battle she had fought only days before, the question was; Why?

"They're up to something," Mu growled under his breath, "But what? Hey, Cags, you see anything over your side?"

"It's Representative to you!" She retorted, "And no, I see nothing special. What's up?" She knew something was wrong, she was just hoping he would be able to tell her _what_.

"I'm not sure..." Mu said thoughtfully, "I'm just feeling uneasy."

"I agree," Andrew nodded, "Something is definitely out of place. I wonder if it has something to do with the missing Flagship?"

"Holy crap!" Kira's voice interrupted them, and both men swung their suits about to see a very disturbing sight. The battle had pulled them all far way from their respective carriers, and this appeared to be ZAFT's plan. Emerging from beneath the ocean behind the Orb fleet was the Vesalius, and it hadn't even surfaced completely when four mobile suits and a good number of GOUFs that they could not count from their distance shot forth, attacking the Orb fleet at close range.

"A decoy!" Mu growled, "Back to the fleet, quick!"

* * *

Kira gunned his engines frantically, praying for more speed from the Strike. He could see the GOUFs taking out ship after ship, the mobile suits simply appeared to be watching, but he did not pay them much heed, the enemy was getting close, far too close, to the Eternal.

_Lacus._

Pushing every ounce of grunt he could from the Strike's engines Kira shot in front of his comrades, his first big mistake.

"ARGH!"

The Strike came to a jolting halt as something rammed into the front of him, driving him back head over heels before he even had a chance to try and correct himself. Pulling back quickly and shaking his head to clear away the stars Kira looked angrily up at the screen to see what had got in his way, only to freeze when he realized what it was. There stood the Aegis, shield placed defensively before it, as if daring him to attack. For one sickening moment he did not see the ship at all, but rather Athrun's face, angry and betrayed, then the illusion had passed, and it was just the battlefield, and an enemy that clearly had no intentions of letting him through. Kira made his decision swiftly, drawing forth his saber, knowing lasers were useless at such close range. The Aegis mimicked the action, but it also had the advantage of a shield, for Kira had lost his own impact, and had no idea where it had gone flying. Moving almost in sync both suits charged forward until blade met blade with a sickening crunch of metal on metal and the hissing of hot steel.

* * *

"Kira's in trouble!" Caggallie turned to go and help, only to find herself face to face with the Buster, "Move out of my way, dammit!"

She charged at him, but one could almost see the grin on the Buster as it sidestepped on air easily and hit the Rouge side on with it's shield.

"Crap!" Caggallie fought to right herself, then glared at her opponent, "Mocking me, eh? I'll show you what Caggallie Yula Attha is capable of! Take this, you bastard!"

* * *

"Well,well, if it isn't the Duel," Andrew muttered, wondering vaguely if perhaps he should have disabled the Tiger's radio, or at least changed it so it would not pick up ZAFT's signals. He really had no desire to talk to his enemy before he had to fight them, but, well... "One of the best pilots in the class if I remember correctly."

"If you please," Yzak snorted, "I have a CV, and you can read it later, if you insist. Right now there is a battle to be won."

"Right, you don't need to remind me," Andrew huffed, "I _know_ how to win."

"Who said you were going to be the winner, traitor?" Shutting off the open com line Yzak charged, but not recklessly like Caggallie, it was a precise movement, and Andrew had no choice but to meet it head on.

* * *

"So I got the little one," Mu muttered, observing the Blitz fading in and out of sight, "Can't you stay visible for a moment?" He cursed as he once more found himself facing in the wrong direction when attack came, feeling the pressure of his straps as he was thrown about the cockpit, and silently thanking whatever deity had invented the object commonly known as a helmet, even if that thought was quickly obliterated by a loud ringing emanating from his console.

"Damn." Mu looked down at the flashing lights, hoping they didn't mean what he thought the did, "One engine down," He looked thoughtfully at the Blitz hovering just out of reach, preparing to mirage again, when a thought struck him. Using all the remaining power in the Zero he aimed a little to the left of the Blitz, and fired.

* * *

Nichol felt the Blitz give a horrendous jerk before lights began flashing all over his keypad, but not panicking in the slightest he simply acted as he had been taught and turned on the auxiliary engine. He was about to retaliate when a very familiar voice came across the wave line, bringing the entire battlefield to a halt, except, that is, for the still raging battle between the Aegis and the Strike.

"Soldiers of ZAFT, hear me," Lacus spoke in firm tones, facing the camera with steady eyes, her arms outstretched in an expression of pleading, "Please, stop this at once! This is not the road to peace! Do not believe Chairman Zala's words, I was not abducted, or kidnapped, but left of my own free will, and now I will tell you why.

I was at Heliopolis when the attack came, and it was only thanks to the hospitality of the Earth Forces vessel, Archangel, that I escaped unharmed. I was allowed to board, along with many refugees from Heliopolis. They were intending to transport us safely to the Cobra base, but we were pursued by ZAFT, and the Cobrians refused us entrance. We had no choice then, but to appeal to Orb, our last hope for survival, when all others had turned us away. Representative Attha kindly welcomed us, and made every effort to see my convenient return to PLANTs. Upon returning to the homeland I went immediately to see Chairman Zala, to see if he could clarify the issue for me, and also explain to me how my father had mysteriously vanished.

I got neither answer.

Chairman Zala evaded all my questions, and my private investigations revealed some very disturbing details about the Supreme Council's recent activities. Deciding it was no longer safe for me to stay in the PLANTs where I knew I was wanted only as a tool I left, aided by my most loyal followers. I came to Orb, not because I was forced too, but because Orb is a nation with principles, a nation that does not fear to stand up for what it believes in and carries different beliefs to the countries around it, something that endangers it, perhaps, but in the same way makes it strong. If Orb is persecuted because of this, then I will bear the persecution also, for what I believe to be a free world.

So, now, lay aside your arms, there are no nuclear weapons here, I assure you, and I would rather die than betray my homeland. Soldiers of ZAFT, both young and old, I appeal to your hearts, search deep down, you know this is not right, you know this is not the right path for us to be taking. Just leave, we will not chase or harm any of you, you will be allowed to go freely. So please, do not rob more innocents of their loved ones, do not leave more mother's crying for lost husbands and children, welcome in this new age, and show those who wish to continue the war, that we, as human beings, brothers and sisters, refuse to accept the path they have chosen."

Lacus concluded her speech, and silence rang out across the battlefield, not even the ongoing conflict between the Strike and the Aegis interrupted it, for they had moved to a small arena of their own, far away from the main battle. The ZAFT troops were wavering, their belief in Lacus' words fueled further by Caggallie's order that Orb was not to attack during this crucial time. Mu watched with interest as the Blitz lowered it weapons, but both the Buster and the Duel seemed indecisive, as if waiting on some signal.

It came.

* * *

"Damn it, Athrun, why are you doing this?" Kira blocked his enemy's blow, and retaliated with one of his own, "Can't you hear what Lacus is saying?"

"She lied to me!" Athrun shouted, "Why should I believe a word she says?"

"She only lied to you because she was afraid of getting you involved!" Kira retorted, "She was keeping you safe!"

"I would rather die a hundred times over," Athrun replied stonily, "Than be a victim of her half truths."

"She _isn't_ lying now!" Kira insisted, trying to reason with him, "Please, we can still stop this. We can go back to how things were before, back on the lunar colonies..."

"We can 't go back!" Athrun answered, "Can't you understand that, Kira? I can never go back. It's alright for you, look what you have! You have your parents, maybe they are prisoners, but they are still alive, you have your sister! And...you have Lacus! What do I have left? My life from before is gone! It went away with _her_!"

"Damn," Kira muttered, dodging another blow and trying to strike the Aegis with his shield, "You can go back, Athrun! We can! We can make things better! Things don't have to be like this! We can make the world the place it once was! We can go back to the people we were before we became a part of the war!"

"You really don't understand, do you?" Athrun's voice was laced, "My mother was shot ten times before they gave her the killing blow. I was eight years old, and I saw it all. You tell me how I can go back! How am I supposed to forget, Kira, answer me that!" There was silence, and then Athrun continued, his voice low, "No, I can't go back, and you know it. So don't offer me more false hopes!"

"We can't go back to the past," Kira admitted firmly, still seeking a way out of this, "But we can form a better future than this! We don't have to be enemies!'

"Shut up!" Athrun screamed, and Kira almost flinched at the verbal insult, "I won't be a party to your lies anymore! Just be quiet and fight! You want to be a part of this war? Then act like a real soldier!"

"But, Ath..." Kira found himself cut off as the com line was shut down. Realizing now that there was no other option he gritted his teeth and tightened his hold on the controls, preparing to fight with everything he had, because his only other option was to be killed himself.

* * *

"A very nice speech, Miss Clyne," Rau applauded mockingly, "It appears you are not quite the innocent and helpless victim we quite thought you." He sneered slightly, "You are actually a fully fledged traitor to the PLANTs! What did they offer you? Money? Riches beyond comprehension? An estate? Or maybe..." he ignored the opening of her mouth to protest, "You betrayed your homeland and your fiance, for love?"

Lacus gasped, and Rau broke into a soft chuckle,"Ah, Miss Clyne, you are so easy to read. So who is it?"

"You are completely out of order, Commander Le Creuset," Lacus answered calmly, having swiftly regained her composure. She could not allow this man to ruin it all now, not when her words were getting through! "I did it for none of the reasons you listed above. The reason was my belief in a world of heart, not a world of ambition."

Rau applauded again, "I'm amazed you can lie with such a straight face, although, I imagine your fiance wouldn't be too surprised at all! Isn't it true, Miss Clyne, that you deliberately lied to him about your whereabouts during the attack on Heliopolis?"

Lacus opened her mouth to speak, then shut it again, unwilling to lie once again.

"So I thought," Rau turned to the screen and gave quick nod, "All troops continue firing!"

His words were punctuated by a sudden explosion from the outskirts of the battlefield, at the same time aboard the Archangel Mirriallia gave a shout.

"I've lost the Strike's signal!"


	19. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: The Truth Hurts.**

The battle raged for another whole hour, before both sides retreated. Nevertheless, Lacus' speech had not gone unheard, and many of the ZAFT soldiers, including Nichol Amalfi, had voluntarily joined the Eternal. Not that that provided any ease to the emotional turmoil of the separate crews. They had lost Kira, he had been announced MIA, and whilst Lacus locked herself in her room to cry, Caggallie became an uncontrollable, unpredictable fire cracker. Mirriallia and Tolle, who were trying to stop her from recklessly launching in a fighter plane to look for her brother, were among those unfortunate few on the receiving end of her flames.

"Look," gasped Mirriallia, pulling on one of the blond girl's arms whilst Tolle hung on the other, "We all know what you're going through, but that doesn't mean you should just throw yourself away like this!"

Caggallie wrenched away from the pair, and turned to face them, brown eyes burning with anger, "You have no idea what I'm going through!" She snapped," Kira is the only person I have left! I'm sure you're quite happy, Miss Hawk, you still have Tolle, so why should you care?"

"Hey," Tolle immediately backed up his speechless girlfriend, "Kira was our friend, too! We do care about him, we care that he could be...dead..."

He got no further as Caggallie landed a sharp, hard slap on his cheek, "Don't you _dare_ say that!" She screamed, "He's not dead! You don't even know the meaning of loss! I'm going! I can't stand to be around you mock grievers, you don't care about him at all! You're just happy that it wasn't one of you!"

Before they could stop her she leapt into the cockpit of the plane and took off, the fire from the engine flickering dangerously close to the two teens. Tolle looked after her aghast, until a soft noise brought his attention back to the room. Turning around slowly he was shocked to see Mirriallia slumped on the floor, her face in her hands and her body wracked with sobs. Moving quickly he enveloped her tightly, murmuring soft words of comfort, "It's okay."

"I _do_ care!" Mirriallia insisted hysterically, "I _do_ care! How could she say I didn't?"

"She's upset," Tolle, forgiving as always, reasoned, "She didn't mean it."

Mirriallia could not reply, so he simply held her as she cried on his shoulder.

* * *

The water lapped softly at the island's shoreline, and standing facing out to sea one did not have to look at the two piles of wreckage lining the beach, or think about the way they destroyed the beauty of the isolated place. One was a red mobile suit, which would never be functional again thanks to one side being crushed in and all engines destroyed. The other was blue and white, and it was a sorry sight. Burnt, melted and sliced in half, it looked like a corpse. He stood at the edge of the beach, the waves lapping at his feet, his eyes empty pools of emerald green, drained of the anger they had possessed only a little more than an hour before, empty of anything at all. It was then that the thought crossed his mind, of how easy it would be to drown here, one had only to put one's head beneath the salty waves, and you would be gone...

His trail of thought was interrupted by the sound of something scrabbling through the brush which covered most of the island, and it was then the instincts honed into his very mind from years of training reasserted themselves. Ducking and crawling forwards so as to remain out of sight he peered around the leg of the red machine, and was slightly shocked to see a girl, about eighteen years old, with wild blond hair running towards the two empty carcasses, her voice raised in a desperate call.

"Kira! Kira!" she slowed to a walk as she neared the remains of the once formidable Strike, her words trailing away, and her eyes filling with tears.

"Kira?" she whispered, clearly not daring to go near the mangled cockpit for fear of what she might see, then, so suddenly it was almost frightening, anger replaced her shock, and she raised a fist to the sky in a gesture of furious defiance, "I swear, Kira, I will make them pay! I will make them all pay!"

She would have said more, he didn't doubt, only a sharp blow to the head knocked her out cold, and she slid limply to the ground.

* * *

The cavern was completely dark, except for the fire burning in it's centre, and had it not been for that very fire, Caggallie guessed it would have been freezing, judging by the pouring rain outside. She tried to sit up, in spite of her throbbing head, but failed dismally before realizing her hands and ankles were both tightly bound. Tightly, but not enough to cause pain.

"What the hell?" She muttered irritably, using the cave wall to prop herself up. It took quite a lot of effort, and when she finally managed to do so she had to take several deep breaths to overcome a dizzy spell before she even had a chance to look around. The cave was small,a few meters away she could clearly see the rain falling in torrents, but her attention was not drawn outside, but rather to the opposite side of the fire. There sat the person who, she imagined, had knocked her out. His hair was dark, but it was impossible to see his face since his was sitting hunched up, with his forehead resting on his knees, and his arms wrapped about his legs. For a moment she thought he was asleep, but she then realized he was rocking back and forth on his heels.

"Hey you!" She said harshly, "Why am I tied up?"

He reacted like lightning, leaping to his feet and backing away in a gesture that might have been comical under other circumstances, before, realizing she posed no threat, he returned to his original position, regarding her with emotionless green orbs.

Still slightly bewildered by his behavior Caggallie repeated herself, "Why am I tied up?"

"You're a prisoner." He said, in a tone which read 'isn't that obvious?'.

"Why?" she demanded, "I've done nothing wrong!"

"It was for my safety," He replied simply, "I couldn't have you running around on the loose." He regarded her impassively for a moment, then offered, "Are you hungry?"

"No," She answered rudely, "And even if I was I wouldn't accept food from you!

He shrugged that comment off, and went back to staring broodingly at the fire, but he didn't seem to like the silence, and soon spoke again, "Where are you from? And what are you doing on this island?"

"None of your business!" Caggallie replied angrily, "You're the pilot of the Aegis, aren't you! You shot down the Strike!"

He gazed at her blankly, then said, "You're not part of the Orb fleet by chance?"

"Shut up, you bastard!"

Sighing heavily he turned and picked up his bag, rummaging around in it, but after a short while he raised his head and looked directly at her, "Why are you so cold?"

She was unprepared for that question, but answered anyway, "I've lost everything in this war! You're the enemy!What do you expect? Of course I hate you!"

"Do you really though?" He asked simply.

"I do!"

"Who did you lose?"

She stared at him in vexation, if he really wanted to know, she would tell him, "My best friend, Ahmed, and my father! But don't mind me, I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand. You're a Coordinator. Not only are they so much more advanced, they also come with no emotions."

There was a sharp clatter as he dropped his bag and turned on her, emerald eyes flashing dangerously.

"Shut up! You're nothing but a selfish brat!" She reared back against the wall in fear at his unbridled anger, well aware of just how large a disadvantage she was at, "Do you think you're the only person who lost people you loved? Do you think you're the only person who suffered? Who is suffering? Do you even care about your friends? About your brother?"

"H-how do you know I have a brother!Anyway, he's dead now, thanks to you!"

"I am aware of that." He turned away, his voice sounded strangely distant as spoke, "He was my best friend."

She froze, stunned beyond belief, then anger took over once again, "Your best friend! How can you say that? You're the one who murdered him!"

He could restrain himself no longer, and at that remark he flew across the cave, seizing her by the collar and pinning her against the wall. She felt a spike of terror, and her stomach twisted uncomfortably, but she was unable to do anything but stare at him with wide eyes, knowing she was helpless to defend herself.

"I know!" He said fiercely, "Don't you think I know that?Don't you think I know I killed a person who meant more to me than anything else?"

"You're a good liar," Her face twisted in a malicious sneer, 'If you really cared about your friend you would have let him kill _you_."

She was expecting a slap for that, but instead she felt the hold around her collar suddenly loosen, and sliding down the wall she gasped for breath, surprised to find the bonds around her hands and ankles also gone.

"W-what are you doing?"

He had turned his back and she couldn't see his face, but his body was clearly trembling,

"Go," his voice was stony, "Kira...would want you... to live... and have a happy life."He bent and picked up his bag, still not turning to look at her, "At least...you have the chance." He lowered his voice, "Unlike some of us."

* * *

The rain ran down the back of her neck, and soaked through her clothes, but she did not stop running until she reached her plane. She still could not believe he had let her go, and her mind was still reeling at the information she had learnt.

_"He was my best friend."_

Part of her insisted it could not be true, but another part reminded her of the conversation she had overheard between Lacus and Kira. But, that was not what disturbed her the most, what disturbed her the most was she was actually feeling guilty for having lashed out at him. After all, he was the enemy, why should she care? But, those eyes were haunting her, the despair she had seen beneath that anger even more terrifying than the fact that anger had been directed at _her_. He wasn't the type of person she expected to see serving as a soldier, and his words cut true to her heart.

_I did lash out at Mirriallia and Tolle, as if I was the only one suffering. Gees, they lost their parents and still don't know if they're alright, and I told them I was the only one suffering!_

She sighed guiltily and powered up the engines, although she didn't exactly understand what the altercation had made her feel, she was resolved that she would change. She admitted now that she had manipulated Kira into joining the army, because she believed he would help her gain her goal of avenging the loved ones she had lost. Kira had always wanted the best for her, had always tried hard to make up for the time they had not had as children. He had tried to make her happy, but she had always shunned his efforts, always shut him out, and had had little regard for his own feelings.

_"Kira would want you...to live...and have a happy life." _She cringed when she remembered the words which had followed, _"At least you have the chance...unlike some of us."_

"What did you mean by that, I wonder?" She said aloud, hesitating as she gazed out of the cockpit, before her hand seemed to move almost of it's own accord, deactivating the engines she had just turned on as she pushed the cockpit open once again, tentatively climbing back out of the vessel, and walking slowly back through the driving rain. She was trembling as she walked, and it was not due to the cold at all. Her mind was telling her to run, to get out of here as she had been told, but something else, some other part of her she had been denying for longer than she could remember would not allow it.

She reached the cave entrance sooner than she would have thought possible moving at such a purposefully slow pace, but deciding to let her heart, finally freed from it's boundaries, to for once direct her actions she did not hesitate before stepping within the circle of light cast by the fire. He was no more aware of her presence now than he had been before she spoke the first time, though his position had been changed slightly, his chin resting on only a single knee, so the firelight was reflected in those frighteningly empty, listless eyes.

"I forgot to ask," he started, eyes widening, but did not look up as she moved to stand on the opposite side of the fire, "Your name."

"Why would you want to know it?" his voice was soft, a direct contrast to before.

"Why wouldn't I?" the more rational part of her mind declared that was the most childish response she had come up with yet, but she ignored it, watching in fascination as his lips quirked, even if it was only for an instant.

"Athrun."

"What?" berating herself for not paying attention she blinked at him innocently, though that look would have had more affect had he been _looking _at her.

"My name," he answered simply, "Athrun."

"Oh..." she was about to reply, when something else occurred to her, and she gasped, "Hold on a minute! You mean to tell me you are not only Kira's best friend, but Lacus Clyne's fiance as well?"

"I don't meant to tell you anything," his voice had hardened again, and she found herself disliking the change, "And I don't think I'm any of those things anymore."

" What makes you say that?" She could have kicked herself for asking that, the _stupidest _response she had come up with yet.

"Lacus is a tra..." he cut himself off, frowning, and lifting his gaze far enough to focus on the wall rather than the fire, "No, that's not right," he murmured, almost distractedly, "Lacus left, and Kira..." he turned to her at last, eyes and face blank, showing nothing. Caggallie took that as a bad sign, "I killed Kira. I did what I was told to, as a soldier, as a weapon, and he's dead because of it, because I couldn't, or wouldn't, think. Lacus saw it before I ever did, but..." his voice had lowered again, hushed, "I make a good weapon, don't I? Do you suppose my father is pleased yet?"

"You're not a weapon," she was surprised at the fierceness of her own response, and at the fact she had made her way around the fire without even realizing it, kneeling so she was on an equal level with him. He appeared more unsettled than surprised at the firmness of her tone, but she could do nothing to change it now, so continued regardless, "You are a living, breathing human being, and whoever told you you are nothing but a weapon was a brainless idiot!"

"So, I'm a living, breathing human being?" the wry smile that twisted his lips into a grimace was almost painful to behold, though the words that followed stopped her in her tracks cold, a shard of ice digging itself into her heart, "The same living, breathing human being that killed your brother despite being his friend?" his voice was growing louder, almost a shout, and his tone had taken on a demanding note, " That same person who attacked Heliopolis knowing it was wrong? Who attacked Orb? Who destroyed your citizens, killed them even, and struck down those soldiers trying to protect you, and protect your homeland. That same human being who could have killed you, had Kira not intervened, and who very nearly..."

"Stop!" she raised her hand to cover her ears, not wanting to hear it, and at the same time realizing she was crying, muffled, silenced sobs that shook her body. He merely watched her in silence, eyes cold, and she found herself unable to stop her next blurted words, "What are you trying to do? _Make _me kill you? I won't do it! I won't!"

"Why not? You have every reason to want to, and every right to do so."

"Because it isn't what Kira would have wanted," she almost sobbed the words, fighting to compose herself, "And I owe it to Kira to do what he _would _have wanted, because I tried to use him. I tried to turn _him_ into a weapon, and it's just as much my fault as yours that he is gone."

"You didn't drive the sword through his body and..."

She moved too quickly for him to intercept her, slapping her hand over her mouth, and hissing almost angrily as she met his wide eyed gaze.

" No, I didn't do..._that_," she could not bring herself to say it, "But I was the one who put him on the battlefield in the first place. Would you have been fighting him if he wasn't there? Would you?"

Reaching up he gently tugged her hand away before replying, rather than giving the silent head-shake she would have preferred. She had a feeling reasoning with this person would have been a lot easier if he couldn't talk.

"No, that was Kira's choice. He made his choice to be on that battlefield, even if you asked him to go, it was his choice, and it was _my_ choice to kill him."

"Damn you!" he did not flinch away from her snarl, "You're impossible! You don't seriously want me to kill you...Do you?" she was suddenly uncertain, suddenly frightened, and she began to wish she had not listened to her heart. It had always seemed to get her into trouble before, and that did not appear to have changed now.

" I don't..." he jerked his gaze away from her, turning back to the fire, which was slowly dying, untended, "I don't think I _want_ to die, but that doesn't mean I don't deserve to."

"You don't." and of that she was absolutely certain, projecting that certainty into her voice, so that he glanced back at her, his eyes narrowed.

"How can you be so sure?"

"If I had come here," she reached across and picked up the gun lying in the sand, something she had not noticed until this moment, "And found you had killed my brother," she pointed the barrel at him, but did not remove the safety, just as he did not tear his eyes away from her face to look at the gun, "That you were sitting here in triumph over your success, I might have killed you, even if you hadn't been his friend. Someone who murders others, and doesn't regret it, deserves to die. They aren't even human, but just monsters, or...or weapons." he dropped his gaze then, and in frustration she lowered the weapon, reaching out to seize his chin deftly in one hand, forcing his head upwards, so that she was sure she had his full attention, "But you _do_ care, and because you care, you don't deserve to die."

"I'm your enemy."

He stated it as though it was a reason, but she simply scowled and shook her head, "So what? Just because we are on opposing sides doesn't mean we are obligated to kill each other."

"How do you figure that?" he had not tried to move out of her grip, but was merely watching her intently.

"Do you think _I_ deserve to die because I'm your enemy?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Exactly," she was smug now, and she allowed it to show, even if it was somewhat spoilt by the tears on her face, "So stop trying to make me angry, or I might just be tempted to slap you around the head as well. That _hurt_."

"You were swearing revenge," his eyes widened fractionally, and so did hers, as she recalled the moment, "And now you're..."

"I swore to kill the monsters who did this, yes, but you aren't that monster, you're just the thing they used."

He frowned, "So I'm a thing now?"

"To them, you always will be."

He flinched and pulled away, and Caggallie was left to ponder what exactly she had said wrong this time. It took her a moment to realize he was crying, but only a second to decide on her course of action. Stepping forward she adhered herself to his back and allowed her arms to slide around him, pressing her face into the fabric of his uniform, before letting her own tears fall.


	20. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Peace**

The mattress wasn't soft, in fact it was rock hard, and for a moment she wondered how she could have ever fallen asleep on such a bed, no matter how exhausted she had been after all that crying. It might as well not have had a mattress at all! It took her sleep laden mind a moment to realize she wasn't lying on a bed, but rather coarse, dry sand, and the source of warmth warding off the chill left in the rain's wake was the body beside her. It took a second longer for her to remember that this had been _her_ idea, that by the time the two of them had managed to collect themselves the fire was beyond salvaging, and the way he had nearly leapt out of his skin when she snuggled up beside him.

"_What are you _doing_?"_

"_I'm cold," she glared up at him, not quite able to conceal her amusement at the sight of the oh so terrifying Coordinator pressed up against the side of the cavern as though she had been trying to eat him, "It's freezing for crying out loud, and I got wet..."_

"_But..."_

"_Bodily warmth is the most effective way for us to warm up," she sighed, "You're cold too, I know."_

"_But..."_

"_Seriously, if it's such an issue just pretend I'm a hot water bottle."_

"_You're hardly alike." the response was dry, and more than a little sarcastic, but he didn't protest any longer, even if he did flinch every time she so much as moved._

The memory amused her, all the more so because at some point during the few hours she had been asleep he had rolled over so that they were no longer back to back, but rather she had ended up cradled against his chest, one arm even draped around her. The idea of exactly how mortified he would be if he woke up in that position made her take pity, however, and she quietly squirmed away, rolling over onto her stomach before sitting up on her knees, and contenting herself on blanking her mind by enjoying the mundane task of watching him sleep. She still could not have said exactly why she had come back the night before, when she could have just walked away and left him, but she had, and now she had to deal with those consequences, if you could even call them that.

"Kira picks his friends with care," she reminded herself softly, "Even if he doesn't realize it. So, you must be worth something...and that," she screwed up her nose, "That sounded _terrible_. Remind me never to make a speech, won't you?"

He did not so much as stir at her address, and with a sigh Caggallie turned away to glance outside at the rain washed scenery. She did not know how much time had passed, but she was sure Kisaki was worried sick, and ZAFT...If they valued this pilot at all, which seemed likely given his skills, they would send a rescue team. She didn't want to be caught here, but then again, she didn't want to just leave either.

"It would be nice if you woke up now."

"Am awake." She was not really expecting a response, so she jumped when the quiet murmur reached her ears.

"Only half," she corrected, turning back to greet the half lidded emerald eyes, "I think I like you better this way, though, you talk less."

"Hm."

And _that_ response wasn't really coherent at all, but she ignored it, proceeding calmly, "You know..."

"ZAFT will be here soon," he completed the sentence for her, "You should go."

She rose abruptly, annoyed at the dismissive tone, and intending to spout something in response before making a quick exit, but she stopped herself in her tracks, knowing she might hate herself for asking this question, but doing so anyway, "Will you be okay?"

"Probably," he was not half asleep now, propping his head up on his elbow as he eyed her almost warily, "Does it really matter?"

"To me."

This time she didn't wait for a response, she simply ran.

* * *

A few minutes later, when she brought the ship down in the Kusanagi's hangar and climbed out of the cockpit she was far from surprised at being met by an infuriated Kisaki. She was not surprised, but she still halted his tirade with her hand, and a slightly dismissive gesture, before speaking over the top of him when neither of those worked, "Where's Lacus? I need to see her."

"She's...aboard the Eternal," Kisaki answered reluctantly, "But, Caggallie! That was reckless! Where have you _been_, we've been trying to get a hold of you for hours and..."

She ignored the rest of his lecture, running towards the boarding ramp connecting the Eternal to the Kusanagi, and then the Archangel to both. She crossed it swiftly, and made her way directly to the songstress' room. She was about to enter when it hit her., and she stopped dead, not quite able to believe what she hearing. _Lacus was singing! _Her voice was sad and lonely, and every now and again it would break, before she recovered and continued, but she was still singing. Taking a deep breath, and reminding herself that she needed to stop running away, Caggallie reached out for the console, pressed the button ,and stepped inside. Lacus looked up as she entered, revealing her tear stained cheeks, though she raised her hands quickly to rub them away.

"Lacus...I...uh...came," Caggallie stammered lamely, then finished, "I'm sorry."

The other girl sighed, and looked down at the strangely subdued Haro in her hand,"Do you know who gave me this?"

"No, who?" Caggallie sat down on the bed beside her.

"A boy," Lacus smiled slightly, "A young man who had suffered great tragedy, and thought he had found his solace, in me." She paused, then carried on, "That same young man placed all his faith in me, relying on me for the person he could talk to when he was sad or angry, trusting me with everything, and never once lying to me." She choked slightly, but continued bravely, "Then I lied to him, and he found out. He seemed so angry, like he lusted for revenge, but in actual fact, I had cast him adrift. He had no one left to turn to, and was now at the mercy of the twisted minds around him. Finally, they led him to do something I could never believe him capable of, he...killed..."

She did not really need to ask, but how could she bring that up right now? Deciding it was best simply to deliver what was expected, she uttered softly, "Kira?"

Lacus nodded, as the tears began to run down her cheeks again, her quiet sobs preventing any attempt at speech.

"It wasn't your fault Kira died," Caggallie insisted, finding herself going a little numb at the final word. She had accepted it back on the island, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. "You didn't kill him."

"But I created the killer who did!" Lacus sobbed, "Oh, Caggallie! I'm so terrible! How could I just cast him off? We accused him of not listening, but the truth is he was lost! He had no idea what to do! We were ripping the very foundations of his world from beneath his feet, until finally he had nothing but rage left. Rage and anger, and hurt, and betrayal!"

He didn't even have that now, but she could hardly offer that as comfort, so she tried a different tactic, "He was your fiance, right?"

Lacus nodded mutely.

"It was an arranged marriage?"

Again the answer came in affirmative.

Finally, Caggallie dared to ask, "Did you love Kira?"

Lacus looked startled, "I-I don't know. I never really thought about it."

"I think he loved you," Caggallie clasped her hands in her lap, "When I first saw the way he was attached to you, I admit I was jealous. After all, he had barely known you for more than a few days. I felt excluded, so I...tried to keep him to myself as much as possible, I even resented his friends. I know now how selfish I was being, and I just want you to know, that I do value everything you did for my brother and my country."

Lacus smiled through her tears, and reaching out she squeezed Caggallie's hand, "You're a good person, Caggallie, and you will accomplish great things, that I am sure of."

* * *

"Do you think this is genuine?"

Mu waved his hand towards the message running down the screen, and Caggallie nodded, her eyes still red, but a new fire in them, "ZAFT had severe losses also, especially the desertion of so many soldiers to the Clyne Faction, it is only natural that they would want a truce."

"And there are not too many demanding features either," Murrue said slowly, "This could be a good way out."

"Yes," Lacus agreed quietly, "So far ZAFT has openly proclaimed it's hostilities before making them, I do not think they would propose a truce that is false."

"Well, usually." All eyes turned on Nichol, who shifted uncomfortably under the attention, "Well..um...you see, the commander in charge of the entire ZAFT fleet is Commander Le Creuset. Although I would like to think this truce is genuine Rau has been known to..um...use underhanded methods."

"So, you think we shouldn't accept?" Caggallie asked, surprising all those present by her sudden meekness, surprising even herself.

"I didn't say that," Nichol said hurriedly, "From a political point of view you should probably accept it, but, keep the fleet on alert, you never know, he might try submerging the Vesalius again."

"We have subs on duty now," Andrew replied, "But, I think you are right, we should suspect a trap."

"Whatever it is it won't be happening for a while," Arnold interrupted, "I just intercepted a message summoning the Vesalius back to the PLANTs, if Rau was planning something it will be put on hold."

Mu let out a sigh, "Then I guess we had best accept."

"I concur," Caggallie nodded, turning to Kisaki as she did so, "Send word to ZAFT we accept their terms, there will be peace again."

Kisaki gave a curt affirmative gesture, and the question on everyones' minds was left hanging.

Peace, yes. But for how long?


	21. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: The End of One Road**

" What the _hell_ did you do to your ship?" Yzak paused halfway down the ramp of the recovery vessel, staring at the wreckage of the Aegis for a moment longer, before turning just in time to see his teammate's shrug.

"It got caught in the explosion of the Strike and..."

"This thing's really busted!" Dearka scrambled down over the hulk of red metal, grinning like an idiot "Can we change it's name?"

"Shut up, you idiot," he didn't even have to think about giving that response, it came habitually, and he continued on as if it had not even happened, "The recovery crew are going to have a hard time fixing _this_, but at least we got the Strike. Not that it's going to be much good for anyone right now."

"You can say that again!" Dearka smothered a snigger, before turning to the youngest of the trio, "You could have just said you wanted a new ship, you know."

"You don't think they'll be able to fix it?" Athrun's voice sounded absent, but after casting a glance at the machine again, he shrugged somewhat sheepishly, "I guess not. Hey, where's Nichol?"

"Gone," Yzak tried to keep the anger out of his tone, but it came out clipped anyway. He had already had a full blown rant about the little traitor, and he was not in the mood to discuss it again, "Apparently the other side was more appetizing to his tastes."

"He switched?"

The voice of the other pilot was more curious than dismayed or surprised, and Yzak scowled, trying to ponder out a reason for that whilst Dearka shuffled somewhat uncomfortably.

"Yeah," the blond murmured at last, "A lot of people did. ZAFT had to withdraw, because we didn't have an advantage anymore. Even those who stayed weren't really fighting with any real strength. It was pretty much one big disaster, and now the Vesalius has been called back to the PLANTs again."

"We're going back? Why?"

"The Chairman has to reevaluate his position, of course," Yzak interjected impatiently, growing tired of this conversation, utterly pointless at the current time, "And if we don't hurry up the Vesalius might just leave without us. We can discuss this later if you must, but not here, and not now."

The look Athrun gave him was irritatingly blank, but at last the dark haired pilot merely nodded, the subject closed.

* * *

Athrun knew this feeling of numbness was not a good thing, particularly not when he could hardly focus on anything around him, least of all whatever it was Yzak and Dearka were arguing about. On the other hand, the sense of feeling nothing at all was a lot better than the alternative, and so he made no real attempt to jerk himself back to reality, merely watching the scene outside the shuttle's window without really seeing it. Truthfully, he was at a loss as to what to do now, a complete and utter loss. Was he supposed to return to the PLANTs and resume his duties as if nothing had happened? Certainly, as far as his father would be concerned, nothing _had_ happened. Patrick probably didn't even recall Kira Yamato's face, much less the fact he had been Athrun's friend, and as he had chosen not to disclose the pilot's identity, the destruction of the Strike would simply be another statistic. And Lacus? Would his father care about that? It wasn't likely, and that singular fact was enough to reaffirm the assertion _she_ had made.

_"He doesn't listen to anyone now, he just uses people, he's using you as a weapon, and if I stayed in the PLANTs he would use me too!"_

He hadn't wanted to believe that, or hadn't been able to at the time. Lacus' words had been threatening all that remained of his broken family, and he hadn't been willing to lose that, hadn't been willing to accept his father had changed so much. But _had _he? Memories of standing in the corner of the room, unnoticed and unacknowledged, until he was called for to report or to receive an assignment bombarded his mind, and he shook his head slightly in a fruitless gesture to dislodge them. You could not deny what you had seen with your own eyes, and Athrun knew very well his father had changed from the man he once was. It hadn't happened gradually, either, there had been a sudden switch after the death of his wife, and things had just got worse from there, until Athrun began to wonder if his father really did see people as people anymore, and not just objects.

_"You are a living, breathing human being, and whoever told you you are nothing but a weapon was a brainless idiot!"_

He wondered if that young woman realized it was Lacus she was calling a brainless idiot, the girl whose name he had forgotten to even try and learn. After all, it _had_ been Lacus who first uttered those words aloud, but, on the other hand, that didn't mean she was the first one to think them.

"_After all, I am certain that she could not have been a part of it, not when she was so very obviously loyal to you."_

He had believed in that brief moment, when he was grasping at anything to explain what was happening, that Lacus _hadn't _been loyal, that Siegel had been a liar, and that everything the Commander was saying was true. But had Lacus truly been the one that was disloyal? She had certainly shown little adherence to the ZAFT army, but did that make her disloyal to _him_? She had tried to explain her actions, after all, the problem had been that the way she explained them had threatened to destroy the cocoon his world was preserved in, and he hadn't been able to allow that, hadn't been brave enough to actually see that what he was trying to protect might not even exist anymore. To _accept _he didn't _have _a family to protect, because Patrick Zala had already destroyed it. He did not blame Nichol for leaving, as Yzak and Dearka seemed to, in fact he was almost envious of the younger boy. Nichol had had the courage to leave everything else behind in order to fight for what he believed in, he hadn't been held back by his own fears, and in a way, that made him the strongest of them all.

_What am I even fighting for?_

The worst part of asking himself that question, was that he didn't even have the answer.


	22. Chapter 20

**Part 3-Conclusion**

**Chapter 20: Unexpected Outcomes**

Athrun pulled up outside the deserted house, a place which was so painfully familiar, though it's bad condition helped to hide some of the more memorable places, he could still imagine it how it had once been. The garden was in disarray, and the gate still swung uselessly off one half broken hinge. Broken windowpanes littered the tall, rank grass, and the front door still played host to several bullet holes. It had been left just as it had been on that fateful night, untouched, thanks to the Chairman's order no one was to approach it. But, he couldn't help it. He had to come back. He had had to remind himself of the reason he had been fighting at all, because there _had_ been a reason, once.

Whilst Rau and Patrick locked themselves in the Chairman's office the remaining members of the Le Creuset Team had been given leave, and, although Yzak and Dearka had shown new interest in him after he had taken out the Strike and had actually asked him to go with them to wherever it was they were going, Athrun hadn't felt like company, and had declined their offer. He had remained in their quarters for a while, but he had found the silence oppressive, and eventually he had been able to stand it no longer. Now he found himself standing outside one of the places he hated the most, but he had come here, because this was the last place he had seen her, and the place which had played such a large role in his life decisions.

Walking with hesitant steps he traveled up the garden path and pushed open the door, pausing to study the interior. The hall within was covered with dust, but he could remember exactly how things had been that day, and he knew where everything was located without even looking. To the right was the laundry, to the left, the kitchen, where it had all started. Turning left he stepped into the silent room, eyes quickly noting the pots and cutlery were exactly as they had been laid out on that day, and it was very likely the food had just rotted away. Standing in the middle of the room he froze, realizing darkly that this was exactly where he had been.

_"Mother, mother!"_

_She turned, her face lit up by the usual bright smile, "Yes, dear?"_

_"When is father coming, mom?"_

_"Not tonight."_

_He pouted, not at all pleased with that answer, "But he promised!"_

_"I know, dear," She smiled again and patted his shoulder, "But father is very busy, he will come when he can."_

_Well, one could not sulk when she smiled like that, so he grinned and hopped up on the stool beside her, "Can I help, mom?"_

_"Of course you can, just..." She never got any further,however, as the sound of shattering glass and bullets hitting wood erupted through the stillness, punctuated by the screams of terror of their guests. He hardly noticed either, however, freezing in fear as a dark shape loomed in the kitchen window._

Athrun stepped back out into the hall, recalling this was where they had run, before turning and going into the lounge, which was directly opposite the door. Once one stepped into it there was only two routes of escape, the stairs upwards, and the stairs downwards.

_A man towered in the right hand doorway, so, still clutching her child's hand Lenore turned and went downwards into the basement, wedging the door shut behind her. They ran for what seemed an eternity, a basement which had once seemed such a reasonable size so achingly huge, before coming to the next set of upwards stairs. She ran up them, dragging the terrified child behind her, once more jamming the door. She bolted along the first floor's hall, and they soon came to the flight of stairs leading to the second. Not stopping she repeated the process one more time, and soon he found himself shunted up the stairs to the third floor in front of her, the last floor before the attic._

_He had only just reached the top step when she fell._

_Landing awkwardly she gave a cry of pain, one leg twisted beneath her. Her cry brought him to a halt, and turning swiftly he ran back, Coordinator eyes quickly telling him the ankle was broken, for no bone could twist at that angle._

_"Mom!"_

_But she waved him away, eyes stern, determined, and deadly cold, "Run, Athrun. Don't look back, just run."_

_"But, mom!"_

_"Do as you are told!"_

_He couldn't disobey her when she spoke like that, so he turned against his will and ran to the top of the stairs, there he found himself unable to leave her, so he ducked into the first room, leaving the door slightly ajar so he could see what happened. There were five men, all wearing hoods, but the one who seemed to be in charge removed his so he could speak, giving the boy a good look at his features._

_"Well, well!" He chuckled in glee, "It appears the bird didn't quite fly the coop."_

_He kicked her, but she made no sound, emerald eyes calm, radiating...forgiveness._

_The man didn't like that, pulling a gun from within his jacket he shot her in the arm, but still she made no sound. He fired again, hitting her this time in the shoulder,and her blood began to stain the wall. Eight more shots were fired, before they finally gave the killing blow._

_Through it all, Lenore Zala had not made a single sound._

He paused on the third step from the bottom.

_There is still blood._

Where she had lain the wall was died a dark red, not even the dust could remove the ghastly sight, and Athrun found himself rooted to the spot. He couldn't look away, as slowly the scene began to replay itself through his mind. He saw her body wrench each time a bullet pierced her skin, and he heard the man's insane laughter.

"No, stop it!" He dropped to his knees, covering his head with his hands, trying to ward off the memory, but now it had been revived it would not leave. He could see every gory detail of that day, the memories he had erased, pushed to the back of his mind, because he couldn't face them alone, and no one else was willing to share the burden. With a trembling hand he reached out and touched the bloodied spot, with one hand resting on the red patch, he bowed his head, and let grief wholly overcome him.

He did not know how long he sat there, lost in his own world, before he drew back his hand. He froze again then, clenching his fist tightly, for to his dazed mind it appeared the blood had shifted from the wall to his hands.

Because, this time, he was the one who had spilt the blood.

* * *

"Do you think he's all right?"

Dearka broke what seemed to have been an interminable silence, staring at nothing particular, though it was clear he was addressing his teammate. It was late evening, and he and Yzak were seated on the couch situated in the lounge of the expensive suite they, as a team, had been gifted. Yzak merely shrugged in response, but he was more worried than he wanted to appear, for, although Athrun had seemed alright that morning, when he came home he seemed to be in a daze, refused to speak to either of them, or, alternatively, and more worrying, not even _noticing _them. He had locked himself in his room after that, and had not come out since.

"I guess hearing Lacus tell so many lies must have been a little hard." Dearka grunted.

Yzak only frowned, he had a feeling the problem was a little more complex than that, but didn't want the somewhat undiplomatic Dearka getting involved. On the other hand, when Yzak still didn't reply Dearka continued, "I wonder where he went?"

This time he sighed thoughtfully, that thought had been troubling him as well, if Athrun's mood had changed from that morning to that evening it had to do with something he had done that day, he was beginning to wish they had been more insistent earlier about Athrun accompanying them, at least then they would have known where he was.

"You know, Commander Le Creuset was saying we'll be sent back to the frontline in a couple of days, do you think he'll hold up?"

"How should I know?" He replied at last in exasperation, annoyed that Dearka was disturbing his inner musings, "He always has mood swings, he'll be fine!"

Dearka blinked for a moment in surprise, then nodded, got up, and stretched, "I'm going to hit the sack. When are you going to turn in?"

"Later," Yzak responded, picking up the remote and turning on the Tele, "I'm going to enjoy this place whilst I can."

Dearka nodded without another word and plodded off to bed, but although the TV valiantly blared out some trash movie for over an hour Yzak barely noticed, his mind focussed inwards. Finally, exasperated by the useless noise of the machine he switched it off, and wearily leant his head back on the sofa cushions, prepared to curse everyone of his teammates, as he was sure they had all had equal blame for the headache building behind his eyes. It was then he heard the sound, and whipping around with a scowl written all across his face he prepared to give Dearka a chew out only to find himself face to face with a rather bewildered looking Athrun. Forced to bite back the insults on his tongue Yzak looked his teammate over with a critical eye. His uniform was rumpled, suggesting he had slept in it, and his hair wasn't exactly a fashion statement either, but his eyes seemed to suggest he had returned to the real world, so Yzak gave a satisfied grunt and turned his back.

He heard Athrun leave the room to enter the kitchen, and listened until the sounds within that room had transferred to the dining room, before giving in to the irrational urge that prompted him to rise and follow the same path, the words he had been _wanting _to ask for days now leaping unbidden to his lips.

"You knew the pilot, didn't you?"

Athrun very nearly jumped out of his skin at the abrupt address, having apparently not even heard Yzak come in, but after he had recovered from the shock he merely glared at the other pilot and then went back to his meal. Realizing Athrun hadn't really absorbed the question Yzak took a seat opposite him and repeated it, managing to just barely keep the tint of impatience from the words, "You knew the Strike's pilot, didn't you?"

Athrun stiffened visibly, and Yzak thought the spoon in his hand was going to snap off, but when he spoke his voice was disarmingly calm, "What makes you think that?"

"It is well known fact Heliopolis became the home of most of the refugees from the moon colonies, you,unless I am mistaken, attended a school on one of the colonies. Furthermore, I haven't seen two enemies who are _strangers_ float about yakking for about half an hour _before_ they fight." Yzak answered simply, and somewhat triumphantly. He was certain his guess was right, and if Athrun tried to deny it, he would be in for a rude wake up call.

"Yes."

He frowned, startled from his rapidly deteriorating calm thoughts, "Yes, what?"

"Yes, I knew the _damn_ pilot, okay?" Athrun, realizing he had just shouted, snapped his mouth shut and looked down at his plate.

Yzak blinked for a moment, then rose, moving towards the door as if to leave, which he supposed Athrun believed he _was_ doing, leaving in a huff, but he was not done yet.

"I'm going to ask the Commander if he can remove you from the team for a while."

"What?" Athrun's head snapped up, anger dancing in his eyes.

Yzak met the dark gaze evenly, and his voice was calm, "If you go out into battle in this mental state you're only going to endanger your own life, and ours, I think it is best you sit this one out."

"But..."

"Of course," He changed his tone subtly, after all, he had learned a _little _of the necessity for diplomacy after all those stupid meetings he had had to sit through with his mother, "The Commander doesn't have to know..."

"What do you mean?" Athrun asked cautiously, his expression wary, and with good reason.

"Well," Yzak paused, "I'm not getting you taken out of the team for the fun of it. When I beat you, I want it to be fair and square, not because you are slowly going insane. Anyway, if you manage to pull yourself together over the next three days before our departure, I won't say anything. But, there is one condition..."

"What's that?" the wariness had not decreased in the slightest, clearly, Athrun was more intelligent than he had given him credit for.

"Where did you go this morning?"

Athrun's mouth tightened, and he replied curtly, 'That's my business."

Well, maybe not. "Then I guess telling the Commander is _my_ business." Yzak said haughtily, well aware _he_ was the one holding all the aces for once, and trying not to take too much pleasure from succeeding in riling the normally unflappable pilot.

"That's..." Athrun scowled, not finishing the thought, so Yzak obliged by doing so for him, not bothering to keep the hint of triumph from his face and voice.

"Blackmail? Yes it is. Now answer the question."

Athrun sighed, turning his gaze to his plate, and for a moment Yzak though he was going to refuse, so that when the answer came he was not at all prepared for it, "Fine, I went home."

"Home." Yzak scowled, then it dawned on him, "You mean...But the Chairman banned any one from going near his old home!"

"It's my home too!" Athrun fired back, with more force than was strictly necessary.

"I guess you have a point," Yzak frowned heavily, "Why?"

"Why?" Athrun looked confused.

"Yes, why?"

"Because...' He paused, "That was the last place I saw her. The place that started all of this to begin with."

Yzak eyes widened, _He really is losing it!_, "Hem, why did you want to see her?"

"Because," Athrun slumped in his chair, "Sometimes you want to talk to someone, you know you can trust."

"Oh," Yzak paused, "Is this about Lacus?"

"Sort of."

"Give me a useful answer, Zala!"

"She wasn't kidnapped, Yzak," Athrun sighed, "And she's not being held hostage, or forced into doing any of the things she's done."

"What are you talking about?" Maybe he should call the Commander, and tell him one of his most promising pilots had officially lost his mind.

"Just what I said," Athrun answered impatiently, "She went voluntarily."

"How do you know?" His companion demanded.

"Because I ran into her at Amigos," he answered slowly, "She was meeting with an Orb Officer, in the _middle_ of a packed plaza, I can't see her being _unwillingly_ abducted when there was such a crowd."

"But why would she do that?" Yzak fumed, then another thought struck him, and he started angrily, "And why did the Chairman lie about it?"

"Because if people knew Lacus Clyne approved of Orb, he would not be able to sway them against that country." Athrun answered simply, "She has too much influence."

"Never mind that," Yzak huffed, another, even more irritating fact occurring to him, "More importantly, why didn't _you_ say anything."

"I...don't know." Athrun frowned, as if deliberating a puzzling riddle, "Maybe because I wasn't ready to believe it myself. Besides, imagine if all those ZAFT troops had deserted at the _start_ of the fight."

"We'd have been in trouble," Yzak admitted, no matter how reluctantly, he couldn't deny _that_. "But I still don't like the fact the Chairman lied. Did you talk to him about it? Maybe he thought she _was_ kidnapped, after all, you're the only one who saw it"

"The Chairman has been far too busy to see me," Athrun replied somewhat bitterly, "You know that."

"Fine," Yzak shrugged, rapidly getting tired of this conversation, "I have one more question. If you knew the pilot of the Strike, why did you kill him?"

Athrun looked up, startled, but replied evenly, "Because he was an enemy?"

_More of a question than an answer. But, oh well..._

"That's right. He was the enemy, and he was killing _us._ How many ZAFT people would have died if you hadn't done what you did?" Yzak nodded, even if he was not convinced Athrun believed a single word of the sentence he had just uttered, "At least we now know what a loyal teammate we have." that caused a flinch, for some odd reason, and he hurried to add, "Of course, you'll be no good to us at all if you lose it. Three days, remember? Or else I wont keep quiet."Satisfied he had done all that he could, and more than he really should have, he turned on his heel and made to leave the room, but Athrun's voice halted him in his tracks.

"Yzak?"

He paused, almost against his will, not really wanting this conversation to continue any further, "Yeah?"

"Thanks. I...I needed that."

He shrugged, not bothering to turn about as he answered airily, "You're welcome." He took another step, then halted, and spoke over his shoulder, "Bastard."

* * *

Caggallie looked at her haggard reflection in the mirror, she hadn't slept well since Kira had gone missing, and it showed. Four days of strenuous work and not a wink of sleep, no wonder she looked like a zombie! Sighing, she turned on the tap and washed her face, trying to wipe away the tear stains on her cheeks, tears from yet another dream.

_Kira would want you to live, and have a happy life._

She smiled wryly, uttering the response inwardly, _It's not as easy as it sounds._

"Caggallie, are you in there?" Lacus called anxiously from the room without, and giving a start Caggallie realized just how long she had been within the small room.

"Yeah, just coming." Drying off her face and running a quick comb through her hair Caggallie stepped out of the bathroom, knowing full well that, despite her efforts, she still looked rough, but Lacus, as usual, seemed to have maintained her pristine appearance with little change, except for the shadows under her eyes, "What's up?"

"We just heard the news the Vesalius is relaunching from the PLANTs," Lacus answered, as they stepped out of the room and headed for the Archangel bridge, which had come to serve as the meeting place they regularly utilized, "Apparently, their mission is to take out a few of the Earth Forces moon bases, so, it should be a good time to go ahead with your plan."

"Right," Caggallie nodded firmly, forcing her mind away from the past and back to the present. _Dwelling on it will do you no good._ "We need to know what they are doing in Heliopolis, there must be something there they need."

"It will not be an easy battle," Lacus said slowly, her voice trembling slightly as she continued,"Especially without the Strike..."

"Please don't," Caggallie held up a hand, " I'm still having a hard time...accepting."

Lacus nodded and fell silent, her own face slightly grief stricken. Caggallie tried not to look at her, for fear she would cry again, and instead focussed on where she was going. They had reached the boarding ramps linking the three ships together now, and they were both so lost within their own thoughts they didn't even see the person standing there, crashing into the green haired pilot and falling in a tangle of limbs.

"Oh," Nichol flushed scarlet, quickly helping the two girls back to their feet, "S-sorry."

"Don 't worry about it," Lacus smiled kindly, and Caggallie tried to mimic the gesture. It had not been the young pilot's fault at all, and Nichol was still having a hard time finding his feet amongst her troops. Since he had had enough faith in Lacus to desert the army, the young woman was trying especially hard to make him feel at home, and Caggallie felt almost equally obliged, "We are just heading to the council room, you coming?"

Nichol nodded, and fell quietly into step behind them, though after a few moments Caggallie dropped back to walk beside him whilst Lacus went on ahead.

"Excuse me, Nichol?" Caggallie asked timidly, unused to instigating a conversation without the role of Representative to back her, "I was wondering if I could ask you something?"

"What is it, Representative Attha?"

"Caggallie," She corrected him instantly, she was going to do this without that title, she was! "Of your teammates, um, did one of them have dark hair and green eyes?"

"You mean Athrun?"

"Yes," she replied slowly,uncertainly, "Him."

"You met him?" Nichol asked in surprise, pausing in midstride to look directly at her.

"Um, yes,' she admitted, pausing as well, "He was on the island when I went to see the wreckage."

Nichol sighed in relief, "He survived."

"Yeah." Her response was dull, and he noticed at once.

"Oh," Nichol began to look flustered, "I'm sorry, it must seem cold of me to be thankful that the person who..."

Caggallie halted his gabbling with a hand, "Don't worry about it," she smiled, "He was your friend, I take it, so I don't hold any grudge against you. Besides, he was kind to me, and helped me sort some stuff out."

Nichol looked curious, but did not probe further, instead he answered with a tentative grin, "You're definitely talking about Athrun then."

Caggallie smiled faintly, then asked a question of her own, "Nichol, why did you join the army?"

He frowned, seeming to ponder the question before replying, "Well, most of my friends had, and I felt like I couldn't just sit back and watch them all fight for our home whilst I sat idly by. It wasn't that I wanted to fight or anything like that, I just wanted to help."

"I see," Caggallie nodded, having expected as much from the gentle boy, "Shall I tell you why I joined the army?"

"Um," he shifted uncertainly, "Okay?"

"I joined the army to avenge my father and my best friend's death. I didn't care what I had to do in the process, I was just determined they deserved to be avenged. I even used Kira, to some extent, and I had a complete disregard for the feelings of others. I did not have the welfare of Orb at heart, I only wanted to satisfy my own selfish desires."

"Um..." Nichol said, glancing anywhere but at her, clearly at a loss for words.

"But," Caggallie frowned, "Kira could never see it, he could never tell me what I needed to hear. Sometimes, it takes a stranger to tell your heart what it needs to hear."

"Are we talking about Athrun here?"

Caggallie nodded, and smiled ruefully, "He called me a selfish brat, then asked me if I thought I was the only one who had suffered, who was still suffering. It made me think, and I realized then that that was exactly what I had been doing. I had been ignoring the pain of everyone about me, allowing myself to become absorbed only in my own interests. I didn't deserve the friends I had, and after that I decided I had to change."

"I see," Nichol nodded thoughtfully, "If you played the victim, and he didn't think you were justified, Athrun probably would lose it. I've never seen him angry before, really, not even when his father wouldn't make the time to see him. I mean, I know chairmen are busy but..."

"Hold it!" Caggallie clapped a hand to her forehead, not quite able to believe she had not connected the dots before. She had known Lacus' fiance had the name Athrun, the girl had stated it herself, but she had never, ever, noted the last name. "Athrun...Athrun _Zala_!"

Nichol nodded, bewildered.

"Cripes!" Caggallie yelped, "I insulted the supreme chairman's son! Crap, do you think he'll tell?"

"Nah," Nichol shook his head, clearly amused, "Besides, I doubt whether they'd withdraw the treaty just because you two had a fight."

"When you say it that way it does sound trivial," Caggallie admitted, slightly embarrassed at her own actions, "It's just...What the?"

They had stepped into the bridge of the Archangel, and the sudden flurry of activity had caught her eye, drawing her attention away from the conversation, and the words she had been about so say.

"Hurry, track the signal!" Murrue ordered, seated in her captain's position, her face similar to the orderly expression she adopted during battle, if not quite so grim.

"Tracking..." Arnold began, "It says, CF, registration 77980."

"Marchio!" Lacus gasped in astonishment, "I don't believe it!"

"Who?" Mu grunted, folding his arms as he leant against the back of the captain's chair, a place Caggallie had noted he rarely vacated, at least, when Murrue was there.

"Marchio, he's one of father's most loyal friends," The songstress explained, "Quickly, send him our location!"

"What's going on?" Nichol asked curiously, and as Lacus turned towards them Caggallie was startled to see her smiling, tears of joy running down her cheeks.

"Oh, Caggallie!" She reached across and squeezed the other girl's shoulder, "It's Kira, we found him, and he's alive!"


	23. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Strike Back**

Caggallie could not believe it, Kira was here, a little beaten and battered admittedly, but he was here. Alive. Injured, but alive. It was a thrilling, giddying, revelation and she was not sure whether she could possibly accept it as reality. Her experience of the real world had never been so fine, but as she entered the room and saw his somewhat sheepish face she knew, without doubt, that this was _real_. That Kira was alive, and that the world had righted itself again. But, for some reason, during that brief moment, she could not help but feel sorry for Athrun; he would probably never know.

"Kira?"

He looked bright and perky, despite having just woken from a coma, and responded in a chipper voice, "Hi, Caggallie, or should it be commander?"

She smiled then, and, leaping forward, startled him by wrapping him in a firm bear hug, "Kira, I want to apologize. I...was wallowing in self pity, and I never even realized I was hurting those around me. Will you forgive me?"

"Of course!" He looked up at her, surprise reflected in his violet eyes, before his lips quirked into a slightly mischievous smile, "But, if you don't mind me asking, what brought this on?"

She blushed slightly, and hesitated, knowing this would be difficult for Kira to hear, perhaps as difficult as it had been for her to experience. Also, it had not escaped her notice that had she not coddled Kira onto the battlefield he would never have been put into a situation where he had to fight his friend at all. "When you were shot down...I came looking for you...alone. But, I met the pilot who had, we thought, killed you. He took me prisoner..."

She told him everything, then fell silent, waiting for his reaction, even if she was a little scared about what it would be. For a moment he sat thoughtfully, but said nothing, and Lacus, who had been keeping bed watch, also sat silent, her hands folded in her lap, and her gaze fixed on them.

"Kira..." She spoke slowly.

"Yes, Lacus?"

"I think...I made a mistake."

Kira eased himself into a sitting position, with some help from Caggallie, glancing anxiously at the auburn haired girl. Caggallie found herself doing the same, wondering what the pair of them were talking about, although, when Kira spoke it turned out Lacus was the only one who knew, "What do you mean?"

"I think, I should have told Athrun the truth."

"But if he had told the Chairman..."

"I don't think he would have," Lacus sighed, leaning her head back against the wall, "This is all my fault."

"No, it isn't." Caggallie interrupted her, startling both the other occupants of the room, "It is true the world around us affect us, but it does not necessarily shape who we are. Your words and actions may have affected Athrun in some way, but in the end it was he who made those decisions, despite knowing the truth, and it was his decision to pull the trigger. The guilt is his burden to bear, not yours." She did not know why she felt so rotten saying that, she knew it was the truth, but it still sounded so...cruel?

"He already has enough burdens to bear," Kira surprised her, "Let us carry this one." he paused for a moment, then turned to Lacus, "What happened to Athrun's mother?"

"Assassins," she replied, and Caggallie felt her insides twist at the very mention of the word. It always held memories for her, memories of Ahmed, and of her father, and not good ones. "They broke into the family home, killing all the guards and most of the guests until they found her. They left no witnesses."

"Where was Athrun?"

"He was..." Lacus frowned, looking suddenly pensive, "He _was_ at the house, but I guess his mother must have sent him away when the attack came. He was the sole survivor."

Kira shook his head, "They left a witness, Lacus."

"What do you mean?"

"Before Athrun shot me down he said he had witnessed his mother's death, in his words he said 'I was eight years old, and I saw it all'."

Lacus' jaw dropped, a look of complete and utter shock on her face,"He...said...what? But...He never said...we all thought..."

"He also said they shot her ten times before they gave the killing blow."

Lacus and Caggallie both paled, the latter trying to stop the images that flickered through her mind at that thought.

"I...wonder if that was how my father died too." she said faintly, feeling suddenly sick.

Kira squeezed her hand, "Try not to think about it."

"What have we done?" Lacus said in horror stricken tones, "What have _I_ done?"

"It wasn't your fault, Lacus," Kira replied gently, seizing her hand in his other, "You didn't know."

"But," Lacus pulled her hand away so she could place her head in both, "He's still with ZAFT, they are using him, Kira! We have to stop it!"

"We can't," Caggallie interrupted, "There's nothing we can do, Lacus! Athrun must find his own way out, if you try to take him away now you will only make things worse. He has to see it for himself. I think, in a way, he may have already."

"Caggallie is right," Kira nodded, even if he did not look at all pleased about it, "He needs to find his own way, Lacus."

Lacus took a deep breath to calm herself, then nodded, her face nevertheless still tinged with guilt and horror.

"Now," Caggallie sat down on the bed beside her brother, "Can I tell you our plans? Do you think you are strong enough to fly?"

Kira flexed his muscles and grinned, "Coordinator healing, sis."

She glared at him, knowing he had not taken the question all that seriously, then proceeded, "Good. Because Orb has decided to strike back."

"Strike back?" He looked at her quizzically,

"Yes," she nodded, "We are going to retake Heliopolis."

* * *

"What an interesting development," Muruta Azrael read through the message on the screen for the second time, "It seems ZAFT's rampage will finally be cut short."

"Why is that?" General Halberton asked, his tone placid, neither doubtful or optimistic.

"Orb is trying to get Heliopolis back," Muruta smiled, "I think it is safe to assume that the PLANTs will send their new warship to back up their forces there. That will leave us an opening to attack the homeland."

"I don't know, sir," Garcia answered doubtfully, "Your presumption about Artemis wasn't exactly sound."

Muruta glared at him, then smiled, "Yes, that is true. But this time we are ready. ZAFT taking Heliopolis may have slowed us down, but it has not stopped us. It is time we attacked them, time we finished this once and for all," He smiled slightly, "And this time, we will not be targeting only one of their puny colonies."

Halberton sighed, a gesture which almost earned a snap from his commander, even if his words allayed the insult slightly, "When shall we launch, sir?"

Muruta checked the message they had received from the Archangel before replying, wondering not for the first time why his other informant had not been in contact recently "Well, I would say the Vesalius will get the message in about an hour, we shall launch thirty minutes later, just to be safe."

The two generals said nothing further, merely exchanged what they apparently believed to be a surreptitious glance, before rising and leaving the room to prepare the assault force. Muruta ignored their insolence, knowing it would not last for long, not when he had blasted those Coordinator demons out of the sky.

"Well, well, my spy, you have certainly done a good job." He frowned at the screen, "But, I think your usefulness has just about run out. I think it is time you were exposed, and...killed."

* * *

The three remaining members of the Le Creuset team were gathered in the ship lounge, their launch having been unexpectedly put forward by a day, and so they were watching the Chairman's announcement from the ship, rather than their suite. Chairman Zala had a very serious expression on his face, and his voice reflected deep regret, as well as traces of anger. Yzak was trying to figure out just how sincere this act was, but if it was an act, the Chairman should receive an award, he was that good.

"I come before you today, my brothers and sisters, to speak of an unspeakable act, an act beyond comprehension, an act which I myself am finding hard to believe." Patrick paused, for dramatic effect Yzak was sure, before continuing, "A few days ago, as you all know, Lacus Clyne disappeared from the PLANTs. We all believed she had been taken against her will, that the nation of Orb was exploiting her influence, and utilizing that same influence to further their own goals, and for that reason we set out to rescue her. Our intelligence confirmed Orb was responsible, so we demanded her return and battle followed. But, in the midst of that battle the terrible truth came to light. Lacus Clyne was not abducted, she left _willingly_!"

He paused again, then proceeded, "The reason for her betrayal? It appears Miss Clyne's trips to Earth had led to her meeting an officer of Orb, a relationship developed between the two, until she held this man higher in her priorities than her own people. She deserted us, not for any reasons her father, whom I hold in high regard, would approve of. So, although it pains me to do so, I am forced to accuse Lacus Clyne of treason, and it is my sad duty to also announce the termination of her engagement to my son. I sincerely hope you, the people, will also see through the web of lies she has wrought about herself. I pray you all stand behind me in this. If not, I will gladly face the consequences, if only to stand up for truth and justice."

"Politicians." Dearka grunted, cocking his head to the side, "You never really know what they're going to do next. Do you think any of that was the actual truth?"

Yzak ignored him, glancing over at Athrun, who's face wore a dark expression.

"He's accusing her of infatuation?"

"Are you questioning the Chairman's words?" Rau's question was calm, but the three youths could still hear the edge.

"No," Athrun answered evenly, rising and walking to the door, "I'm not doubting them, why would I? I already know they are a lie!"

* * *

Rau watched the young man leave, followed by his two teammates, before letting the scowl settle on his face. He did not understand how his plans could have gone so awry so quickly. Athrun had been completely leashed, tied to his commands in ways he would never see until it was too late, and now that tie might as well never have existed. It did not bother him that his schemes had gone wrong, he did not expect to win every time, no, what bothered him was that he did not know the reason _why._ He had been so certain Athrun would be another weapon to further his cause, but, no matter. The Zala child could be disposed of if he became a problem, and, in the long run, that would only further his control over the Chairman.

Because, if there was one thing he was good at, it was turning every event to his favor.

"With it's recent victories and unheeded rampage through Earth Alliance Territory ZAFT has grown both conceited and careless," Natarle stated in contempt, looking at the information they had gathered on the security of Heliopolis, "This is child's play! Anybody could get into the place!"

"Not necessarily," Nichol spoke slowly, "Just because the scouts only saw guards at these points does not mean they are not present at other places. A lot of ZAFT's strengths comes from it's stealth, if you think about it there are actually less of us then there are of you, so, we have to be smarter and stronger."

"So you're saying that they _want_ people to attack?" Mu asked dubiously, back in his usual position.

"Not exactly," Nichol shook his head, "You see, a lot of our strength is deployed at the front line, so the points we hold on Earth must cope with what they have. The place may only seem to be protected by a few GOUFs, but I'm betting there are quite a few anti mobile suit cannons in the empty spaces, not to mention they may even have a mobile suit in reserve. The latter isn't terribly likely though, because, contrary to popular belief, we don't have an unlimited supply of the things. After losing the Strike, Rusty and Miguel's machines, and now the Aegis, our strength is a little depleted. I'm guessing the major defenses we will have to face will be cannons, possibly mounted with manual pilots."

"I see," Andrew rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I don't suppose a ground attack would get in any easier?"

"It is possible," Nichol responded, "But, you have to remember the GOUFs. Although it would be a simple and easy task to take out the cannons, the GOUFs could crush a ground force in seconds, and there will be at least a score of well trained infantry."

"What about a compromise?" Kira suggested, "We could have an air and ground attack."

'That would probably be the best option we have." Nichol agreed.

"Alright then," Mu interrupted, "We need to decide who is going to take part in what."

"Martin and I should be the ones to lead the ground attack," Andrew spoke up, seated in one of the many empty chairs on the bridge, "We are both veterans now, so the younger pilots will probably be more effective than we will, but since we are bodyguards, we know quite a few of the ground tricks. We can take some of the Clyne Faction soldiers with us."

"Good idea," Lacus nodded in approval, "Orb and the fragments of ZAFT who are with us can take care of the GOUFs. There are only approximately twenty or so of the things so it shouldn't be too hard. I would like to prevent any casualties, on both sides, if I can."

"Except that ZAFT's fleet is not too far away," Kisaki reminded them, a threat they all knew of,"If they hear what we are about they will be on us in seconds, and may even be able to hold us long enough for the Vesalius to arrive."

"Then we will just have to finish before they can get here, won't we?" Caggallie said firmly, "How long until we reach Heliopolis' waters?"

"About ten minutes, Representative." Arnold replied efficiently.

"Don't enter the territory yet," Murrue instructed, standing in front of, rather than seated in, her own chair, "We need a little more time to prepare ourselves first. Once the ground and air forces are both ready to launch we can go full speed ahead. Now, let's see. If Andrew and Martin are leading the ground assault, that leaves Kira and Caggallie to lead Orb's forces, and Mu and Nichol here to lead the ZAFT soldiers. Is that okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Mu said stiffly, then gave a lopsided grin as he turned to Nichol, "Well, partner, shall we go?"

"Um...sure?" Nichol said uncertainly, still not at all accustomed to Mu's happy-go-lucky attitude.

"Don't mind him," Kira leant across and spoke so only Nichol could hear, "He's a little nutty."

* * *

"This is the _third_ time we've been called back from a mission!" Dearka groaned, as the team hurried through the interconnecting hallways towards the bridge. The Vesalius was flying at it's top speed, and he had to speak loudly to be heard over the roused engines.

"Oh, quit complaining," Yzak snapped back, even if was equally annoyed about that. You would think the Chairman would settle on one mission and let them complete that before they were given another, "I'm sure there's a good reason."He added, as the door opened before them and they floated weightlessly into the bridge.

"Indeed, you are right," Rau nodded in acknowledgement, "It appears Orb has made a play for Heliopolis, the ZAFT fleet is holding them at bay for the moment, but with only half their original strength they are limited in what they can do."

"We're going to back them up?" Athrun asked, judging by his tone of voice well aware of what that implied, "Who are we up against?"

"The usual," Rau shrugged, "And the Blitz, of course. Also, according to the Gamma Team there is a new vessel fighting alongside them. The Freedom."

"The Freedom?" Dearka scowled, "Never heard of it!"

"It is one of the new models," Athrun explained, "It was created at the same time as my new vessel, the Justice, I believe it was aboard the Eternal."

"That is correct," Rau nodded, "The Eternal was supposed to be the carrier for both vessels, but the Clyne Faction managed to place their own members as the crew, luckily the Justice was not aboard when it was taken."

"So, who's flying it?" Dearka asked, looking bored already. Anything related to actual military information or politics usually had that effect on him.

"We don't know," Rau admitted, "Like your machines the Freedom is a complex mobile suit to fly, not like the GOUFs, only specially trained pilots can fly them. Except, of course, for whoever piloted the Strike, now _that_ is a pilot I would like to see working for ZAFT." He paused, but when none of his team reacted to that statement he continued, "We will be entering the atmosphere within a few minutes, traveling at top speed we should be there within under half an hour. Stay in your cockpits until we land."

"Y,sir." Dearka and Athrun turned to leave, but Yzak hesitated until the door had closed behind them, leaving him alone with the Commander.

"Is something on your mind?" Rau looked at the younger man, his face expressionless beneath the mask, but his voice conveying the questioning note.

"Uh, yes, sir," Yzak was irritated at his own inability to answer, he had never had trouble until now, "Do you think it is a good idea for Athrun to sortie?"

"Should I not?" The tone remained exactly the same, a mild query, with perhaps a little curiosity behind it.

"Well, he will be fighting against the Eternal...and Nichol was a close friend." Yzak said uncertainly, maintaining his promise not to mention the other side of the matter, seeing as Athrun seemed to have regained some semblance of normality.

"Are you suggesting he will not willingly fight?"

"Well, I..."

Rau rested his chin in his hands, "What is your _true _opinion of this situation, Yzak?"

"Sir?"

"What side do you support in this conflict?"

"ZAFT."

Rau smiled slightly, "There are two sectors of ZAFT though, are there not?"

"The Clyne Faction?" Yzak scowled, wondering exactly where this conversation was going, and realizing at the same time that he had lost control of the subject, "Are they not more rebels than a sector?"

"Correct," Rau's smile broadened, "But it all depends on how you look at it, does it not? What is your take?"

"Well," Yzak paused, carefully considering his response. His comrades may have thought him blunt and tactless, but he knew well, mostly from observing his mother during council sessions, that the wrong attitude in the wrong situation could cause a load of trouble. Rau was digging for something, and until he knew what that was, Yzak was going to play on the safer side of the fence. "I believe Lacus should have stayed in the PLANTs, if she disliked what the Chairman was doing she should have declared so openly, rather then going behind all our backs and running away to Orb. I believe she is unjustified in placing her faith behind a country she barely knows, _however_," If Rau wanted to play games, Yzak was more than willing to take a little risk, "I do not approve of the Chairman spreading slander about her, not even her own fiance believes that."

The Commander nodded, "But might it not be he is living in denial? After all, when two of ones friends just up and leave you, one is not exactly going to accept the truth straight away."

"I guess not," Yzak admitted, conceding that point, even if he was sure that was not behind Athrun's adamant denial of the Chairman's claims,"Still, I can't see Lacus doing something like what the Chairman suggested."

"That, my dear Yzak, is exactly the problem," Rau said patronizingly, "No one believes she can do any wrong, which is why she has so much support. I hope you know better then to believe such lies."

"Of course, sir, I know it is best to have all the facts before one makes a presumption either way. Until I hear Miss Clyne's side of the story, I can't really judge her decision, although I disprove of it, that's not to say it wasn't justified."

"A very honorable notion," Rau patted Yzak on the shoulder, "I am sure you will make a fine captain some day, for now, just do as I say. Athrun will be fine, trust me, this will be a test of his loyalty to ZAFT."

"Yes, sir, I understand." Yzak saluted and walked out, but Rau did not see the scowl plastered across his face, for he did not allow it to form until after he had left the room. Something was up, he was sure of it, now it was just a matter of figuring out what.


	24. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Heliopolis**

"This smells bad!" Mu growled, as he swiped away another enemy GOUF, "How did they _know_ we were coming? There's no other way the fleet could have gotten here so soon."

"I agree," Nichol answered crisply, "But the ground crew is succeeding, we just need to hold on a little longer."

"Right," Mu nodded, before rapidly changing the subject, "Hey, kid! How's the new machine?"

"Great," Kira replied, whilst batting away some of the lesser enemy fighters, and he meant every word. The improvements of the Freedom on the Strike were too many to list, and the fact it's energy supply was almost infinite was one of the best. "The reaction speed is incredible."

"Don't waste it." Caggallie advised him, "Look, some of those units are headed towards our squad, let's cut the bastards off!"

Kira smiled slightly at Caggallie's coarse language, but followed her lead. They needed to protect the ground forces, no matter what.

"Vesalius approaching from north west!" Mirriallia called out on the bridge, "They will be within launching range within thirty seconds!"

"Turn all cannons in that direction," Lacus ordered aboard the Eternal, "Fire at will."

Murrue repeated the same order from the Archangel, but followed it up with, "How's our advance force doing?"

"Half of the anti air cannons are gone, ma'am," Arnold replied, and Kira heard Mu whoop, smiling himself at how fast Andrew' squad was proceeding, "Both the eastern and northern sides are undefended, the advance force is now heading for the city centre, where the ZAFT control centre is located."

"You'd better tell them to get move on!" Mu shouted abruptly, and Kira turned to see what had caught his attention, swallowing sharply, "This is about to get rough!"

* * *

"All units launch!"

With perfect precision the three mobile suits burst from the Vesalius' catapults, backed up by a dozen or so lesser machines. Already the fires of the battle were visible, and equally apparent was the fact neither side was getting anywhere fast.

"What's the situation?" Dearka asked, looking at the many dots registering on the radar, his expression growing brighter by the second.

"Orb is giving it their all," Yzak replied, "They are matching the fleet strength for strength and it appears they also have units on the ground."

"Worst hit areas?" Athrun probed.

"Eastern Heliopolis is deserted," Yzak answered, "The northern side isn't much better off, but they still have a few GOUFs in that area."

"And the fleet?" Dearka added.

"They're barely holding."

"Alright," Athrun quickly summed up the situation, "The way I see it the ground forces are our greatest threat, they are taking out the defenses, so we should go for them first. However, we cannot overlook the fact there are four mobile suits in the air."

"I'll take out the ground forces," Dearka answered at once, his enthusiasm transmitted through his voice without the need of the raised fist he presented on the video feed, "The Buster is the most adept for ground combat, think you two can handle those machines?"

"Piece of cake," Yzak answered curtly, "I'll take the Freedom and the Blitz, because I know you're too goody two shoes to hurt Nichol, that alright with you?"

"Fine," Athrun shrugged, more relived by that decision than he cared to show, "Just watch the mirage colloid."

"You don't have to tell me!" Yzak snapped, as the three suits split up and shot off in their different directions.

* * *

The reason for Yzak's picking had not merely been for fun, for the Freedom and the Blitz were currently fighting side by side, the two pilots having discovered an ease in working together.

"Kira, we have incoming!" Nichol warned, "I think they're from the Vesalius!"

Kira immediately disengaged his battle with the enemy, but even as he moved to support the Blitz something caught his attention elsewhere, "They're going for the ground forces!" He cursed, "Think you can handle the Duel alone?"

"I can try," Nichol said grimly, already engaging his mirage feature, "You go."

Kira nodded appreciatively and swooped away, gunning the Freedom's increased speed for all it was worth.

* * *

"Running!" Yzak yelled, "You coward! Get _back_ here!" He made to chase the retreating mobile suit, only to feel something hit him from the side and hear a familiar voice transmitted across the ZAFT frequency.

"Stop it, Yzak!"

"Well, if it isn't my old pal Mr. Goody Two Shoes," Yzak sneered, not bothering to hide the contempt or disgust in his voice, "What is it this time, Nichol?"

"We don't have to fight," Nichol pleaded predictably, "You know the Chairman is lying, so why do you follow him?"

"Because," Yzak replied snappishly, "Of all the lying politicians I could choose from, I'd rather have the one I know."

"Huh?" Nichol blocked a blow with his shield, and made a half hearted attempt to strike his competitor, which was easily brushed aside, "What do you mean?"

"Lacus Clyne is a perfect picture, she looks good, she sounds good, and people think she _is_ good," Yzak answered, getting annoyed by the fact Nichol wasn't even _trying_. If he was going to choose to fight for the other side, he could at least have the decency to actually put up a battle, "But the truth is she is just like everyone else. Chairman Zala may lie, but at least he doesn't do it with a silly smile plastered across his face!"

"Miss Lacus is a _good_ person!" Nichol insisted, though it was really nothing more than Yzak had expected, "My father told me, that if you believe in something, you should let nothing stand in your way to uphold your faith. He was supportive of the Clyne Faction as well!"

"So your following in daddy's footsteps! How positively uninspiring!" Yzak said sarcastically, making a pass at the Blitz as it once more faded from sight.

"No," Nichol answered evenly, "I'm following my own footsteps."

"Bah!" Yzak snorted, "You always were a juvenile, Nichol, but I thought you knew better then this."

"Then what?"

Yzak smiled coldly, as he pulled out his blade and struck at the point he knew the Blitz was about to appear at, "When fighting against old teammates, change your style."

* * *

"No!" Nichol cried, as the Blitz's left arm and side were torn away with the horrid grinding of metal on metal. He _felt_ the heat of Yzak's blade, and for a moment he thought it would cut him through as well, but the heat passed, and he was still intact. The same could not be said, however, for the Blitz.

"No, no, no!" Fighting for control of his machine Nichol began a crazy descent towards the land below them, and no longer perceiving him as a threat, Yzak turned his back and sped away to support Dearka, who's assault had been halted in it's tracks by the Freedom.

"Kira! You have incoming!" but even as he shouted the warning Nichol realized with horror that his communications were down, and that no matter what he said, Kira was on his own.

* * *

Athrun had somehow successfully managed to get himself into combat with the Rouge and the Zero simultaneously, neither of which he had had any intentions of engaging, and was reluctantly beginning to explore the full capabilities of his new machine. Remembering the reason he had chosen to fight did very little to help his current dilemma, and even though Yzak's firm statement that an enemy was an enemy had helped allay his fears for a while, the moment he was on the battlefield, facing people he _knew_ were Lacus' allies, they returned in full force. He didn't want to fight these people, but on the other hand, he didn't have a choice.

Refocussing his attention Athrun surveyed the two ships carefully, he knew he could outmatch them easily, but with the randomness of the battle about them and the constant smoke filling the air it made things a little more difficult. Also, Dearka and Yzak were both in trouble, the Freedom outmatching them with ease.

"I need to finish this quickly," He thought aloud, before adding firmly, "And without too much blood shed."

Drawing the Justice' double sabers he launched forward, twisting down towards the ocean below, and spiraling back up again between the two enemies at double the speed.

* * *

"Not good!" Mu snorted, as red dials began to flash on his console, "My right wing is gone! Caggallie?"

"I'm okay," she answered breathlessly, "But Kira..."

Mu looked towards the three mobile suits in the distance, and recognized at once the danger she had seen. Kira was slowly being edged closer and closer to one of the anti mobile suit cannons, and he didn't seem to have noticed.

"Definitely _not_ good," Mu muttered, looking around for the Justice. "Kira? Kira! You have _got_ to get out of there now!"

* * *

Athrun had also become distracted by the scene, but for an entirely different reason. The fighting style of the Freedom was so familiar, but, it couldn't be. There was no way...Forcing himself to turn away he looked towards the Rouge, and another thought passed through his mind.

_"Stay away from my sister!"_

That girl must be inside the thing now, he had promised himself he would not kill her, and the Zero was down, so it posed no threat. That left him with the small issue of finding a way to destroy the Rouge without harming the pilot, and, if she fought with any resemblance of the fire with which she talked, that could prove difficult.

* * *

Sensing the other pilot's hesitation Caggallie decided she would make the first move, and drawing out the Rouge's gun she fired. Avoiding the shot easily the red suit bore down on her from above, but instead of using it's blade it instead utilized it's shield as a blunt weapon, aiming for the power battery of the machine. The impact was punctuated by a loud crunch, and Caggallie choked as the straps cut into her shoulders, the force of the strike jerking her about mercilessly before she was able to regain balance. "Curses!"

Glancing up at her console she continued adding a few more colorful words to that one. She had lost half of her power, but she still had enough, if she used it wisely, to finish off this machine. If she could get past his defenses, that is. Scowling at the enemy present on her monitor she moved to attack again, but the Justice merely knocked the Rouge with it's shield once again, before following that up by slicing off the lesser machines arm and legs.

* * *

"Sorry," Athrun muttered grimly, "But you wouldn't stop."

Ignoring the two damaged vessels he turned and raced towards the latest battlefront, to the same area where Dearka and Yzak were fighting. The Freedom had discovered the plot against it at the last minute, and had diced the cannon in a matter of seconds, leaving the two suits to try and win the battle unaided. The Duel and the Buster were now attacking it together, keeping their sync as close together as they could, knowing full well they were outmatched against the later machine. Just beyond them the enemy ground forces had begun to infiltrate the core of the Zaft installment, and one did not need to be a strategist to know they would soon hold the place.

"Athrun, good job," Yzak shouted, "Take over for me, will you? I'm going to stop that advance!"

"Roger." Athrun slid into Yzak's position as the other pilot sped away, but at that point the Buster and the Justice might as well not have existed, for the Freedom turned it's back on both of them and fired it's lasers through the cockpit of the Duel at point blank range.

* * *

"Hell!" Was all Yzak managed, as the laser passed through the cockpit, only missing his fingers by inches, "Alright, you're going to pay for that you smart aleck bastard!" Knowing his suit was in danger of overloading and exploding Yzak turned and blasted everything he had at the Freedom from the same close distance the initial attack had been given, yelling at Dearka at the same time, "Let's get his guy! Athrun, change of plans, you take the base!"

* * *

Athrun shook his head at Yzak's reckless actions, but knew there was no way of stopping them, so simply did as he was told. Turning towards the base he smoothly avoided the projectiles caused by Yzak's mad assault, which had taken the Freedom by sufficient surprise to drive it well back, but was halted when a warning dial flashed on his monitor.

The Zero had made another appearance, using the parts of the now junked Blitz Murdoch had pulled off an engineering miracle, getting Mu back on his feet in mere minutes. He now returned to the battlefield, providing Kira with some much needed back up.

Athrun scowled darkly at his revived opponent, the Justice was a more advanced machine then the Aegis, but it still had it's limitations. Athrun knew fighting the Zero a second time, this time one on one _without_ all the GOUFs getting in the way would use up a lot of energy, and despite it's much larger reservoir the Justice did not have an unlimited supply, but he had little choice as Mu came on in the offensive.

Dodging the lasers fired his way Athrun drew his saber, knowing it would consume less power than his own gun, and tried to get close enough to the Zero to attack. He was in for a shock, however, as the Zero completely dematerialized.

"What the...?" Athrun stammered, taken by complete surprise, before reacting as he had been taught, using all his strength to swing the Justice around, just in time to block the shot coming from behind, "This is going to be hard," He muttered, "_Really_ hard."

* * *

"Hold still, _DAMMIT_!"

"Uh, Yzak, I think you need to calm down a little..."

"SHUT UP, ELSMAN! I KNOW HOW TO FIGHT!"

Dearka cringed visibly, even if his response was not at all cowed, "Yeah, but, the Duel isn't exactly stable, and, you're hurt."

"I'm fine, now help me take this guy down or shut up and go away!" Yzak shouted irately, beyond caring whether or not the Duel blew up. The Freedom had dared to not only attack him, but make a mockery out of him by choosing not to take the killing blow, and he would not let it get off with that insult. Shrugging, and knowing it was no good to even attempt and stop his friend Dearka raced in and tried to gain a hold on the Freedom from behind, but he only succeeded in grazing the thing.

"You know, Yzak, our batteries can't last forever."

"No matter," Yzak answered "Commander, can you send out the back up packs?"

"Certainly. Here are their coordinates."

"They can launch the extra batteries?" Dearka gasped, then grinned, "Cool!"

* * *

Kira frowned, trying to figure out why his two enemies had suddenly backed off. Figuring he might as well give them the benefit of the doubt he did not try to pursue them, and immediately regretted it as he saw them dislodge their empty power packs and connect new ones.

"Ouch." He muttered under his breath, "Andrew, you had better hurry!"

* * *

"Bring the Eternal down in the centre of Heliopolis," Lacus ordered, "Switch all cannons to the anti mobile suit setting and fire at will."

"Yes, ma'am!" The crew echoed.

Nodding in satisfaction Lacus leapt out of her chair and hurried off the bridge, almost running towards the outer door, quickly dialing the code in as she stepped out into the ruined remains of the city she had performed in not so long ago. It was a reckless act, she knew, but she had to find someone to back up Kira, and Andrew and Martin were the only ones available. Their transmissions had been cut off the moment they stepped within the interior of ZAFT's vase of operations here, and though she could have sent word, she preferred to chase them down in person.

Panting, and still intact, she finally reached the base and stepped gingerly around the bodies lying in the doorway. Andrew had kept casualties to a minimum, but some of the deaths had been unavoidable, they would not accept any other end. Pausing inside the building and trying to decide which way to go Lacus followed the sudden sound of garbled voices. With that guiding her it did not take her long to catch sight of Andrew's back as she rounded a corner, rounded it, and stopped dead, her face lighting up immediately, and the word escaping her lips of it's own accord as she leapt forward.

"Father!"


	25. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: When Justice Strikes**

The Justice swerved and raised it's shield abruptly, Mu only just getting out of the way to avoid being sizzled as the blast _bounced_ back, the pilot apparently having adjusted his shields to the purpose.

"Clever, eh?" He muttered, assessing the damage to his port engine, "Well , so am I!"

Once again engaging the mirage feature he had just gained Mu shot downwards, dipping below the ocean surface without making the slightest of splashes. He was planning on coming up from below, and could only hope the other pilot did not realize, since his makeshift repair job was beginning to wear. Murdoch was a genius to have been able to fix the Zero with the parts of the Blitz _and_ activate the mirage colloid within such a short amount of time, but that same short amount was beginning to show, and Mu knew he either had to finish this now, or face the consequences.

* * *

"Where is he?" Athrun demanded of the radar, then jerked the controls suddenly, as the unseen blast hit his power pack, "Switch to auxiliary power." he quietly told himself, before looking around for the culprit. He found it much more easily than he had expected, as it appeared the Zero no longer had sufficient energy to support the alien technology, and the pilot was making himself an easy target, not by choice, but because his engine chose this time to stall.

Athrun drew his saber, prepared to make sure he did enough damage to finish the machine off, if not the pilot, this time, but before he could ever make a move his eyes were drawn back to the battle between the Duel, the Buster, and the Freedom, and the undeniable fact settled into his mind.

_The fighting style IS the same. It has to be Kira! No one else fights like that! _The more he thought about it the more sure he became, but Athrun did not fail to notice the other fact before his eyes, the one that was even more disturbing. _Kira is losing._

* * *

"Father!" Lacus ran past her two startled bodyguards and wrapped her arms around the dazed blonde man, tears of joy streaming down her face as she held him tight, unable to conceal her relief.

"Lacus..." his voice was weak, as days of rough treatment had taken their toll, but the return embrace was as warm and strong as she remembered, "What are you doing here, child?"

"It's a long story," She admitted, glancing up at him and smiling as best as she was able through her tears, "But I didn't trust Patrick Zala, so I left the PLANTs and put my support behind Orb. Oh, father! I've been so worried! Has ZAFT kept you prisoner this whole time?"

"Ever since Dargos." Siegel Clyne said raspily, as Andrew helped him to his feet, "I guess Patrick did not want me to use my influence in the PLANTs, and several members of the Clyne Faction turned on me. But Lacus," He suddenly became serious, "Do you know what is truly going on in Heliopolis?"

"No," Lacus admitted, "I've been trying to find out, but it was all so hush hush...Do you know what it is, father?"

"Mining," her father replied grimly, "Mining for a very rare metal, found only here. It is a metal which can resist extremely strong radiation, such as one might use on a super cannon..."

Lacus' eyes widened, comprehension dawning at once, "Genesis?"

"I'm afraid so," Siegel sighed, "Heliopolis also had a lot of high tech equipment, especially centering around laser technology. I believe it has all been taken away now."

"And what happened to the civilians? Do you know?" Lacus asked anxiously.

"Most of them have been sent away," the blond man spoke grimly, "ZAFT deported them to it's camps, I believe they were using those camps as assembly areas for the parts of the cannon."

"Why do they need the stuff anyway?" Andrew asked, puzzled, "Genesis is supposed to be a fortress, why do they need a super cannon for that?"

"From what I heard," Siegel replied darkly, "They are planning on destroying the Naturals."

"How?" Martin asked, though by his tone of voice he already knew the answer.

"Easy," the other man answered wearily, "By blowing up the Earth."

* * *

"Auxiliary power depleted!" Kira yelled in alarm, "Oh, _definitely_ not good!"

The Duel and the Buster were converging on him as he fought frantically with the controls, trying to get some response, _any _response that would indicate he could make it out. But the Freedom moved sluggishly, and it only took him a moment to realize the truth.

_I'm not going to make it._

* * *

"Where are you going!" Mu demanded, trying desperately to distract the enemy pilot from aiding his comrades against Kira, and clearly not realizing that somewhere along the lines the communication lines had become crossed..._again_.

Athrun ignored him, he knew what Yzak and Dearka were about, and looking down at his console he cursed. _I don't have enough power to go faster!_

The three mobile suits were still quite a distance away, and the Duel and Buster were lining up to fire against their helpless enemy. For a moment Athrun panicked, terrified he was going to lose his friend all over again, for real this time, then the answer occurred to him. Running his hands quickly across the controls he transferred all the power from his shielding to his engines, then gunned it.

* * *

_This is really the end._ Kira thought dully, as he saw the lasers coming his way and knew he was powerless to stop them, _I'm so sorry, Caggallie. _He relaxed suddenly, expecting sudden pain, then for it all to be over. He knew he could not avoid it this time, and his only regret was that Caggallie would have to go through his death again, and this time, there would no coming back. He braced himself, forcing the thought out of his head, and awaited the inevitable.

It never came.

Bright lights exploded directly outside his cockpit and the next thing he knew he was flying through the air, spinning madly with absolutely no control until finally the Freedom landed with a loud, teeth rattling crash, only meters from the edge of the ocean.

"Kid! Kid?" Mu's voice crackled across the damaged line, "Answer me, dammit! Are you okay?"

Kira shakily took off his helmet and raised his hand to his head, aware his entire body was trembling from shock. He felt blood, but replied in the affirmative anyway, "Yeah, I'm fine. W-What happened?"

There was a pause, before Mu answered, sounding unusually uncertain, "I'm not sure, but it looks like the red suit got in the way of the attack."

Kira felt his heart give an unexpected wrench, and this time the trembling was not entirely from shock. The red vessel was a new one, they did not know who was piloting it, but to him, the conclusion came fairly easily. Frantically unbuckling himself he forced his way out of the cockpit, not caring if he hurt himself further in the process, only to come face to face with Caggallie.

"What are you doing out here?" He demanded in alarm, "It isn't safe!"

"ZAFT is withdrawing," She explained, before giving a start, "Kira, you're bleeding!"

"Never mind that!" He pushed her away, "Where's Athrun?"

"Huh?" Caggallie stared at him blankly, but Kira ignored her and rushed past, his stomach tying itself in knots. In the distance he could see the smoldering remains of the red suit, but there were still remains. It was a slim hope, but there might just be a chance. Following after her twin Caggallie ran, panting in her attempts to keep up with him until they came to the wreckage, and both slid to a stop. The Justice had forfeited it's shields for the speed, and the metal had taken the heat directly. In places it had melted through, but worse still was the damage caused by the Buster's missiles impacting and the crushed parts from the fall. Kira dully noted that he and Caggallie were not the only ones present, as Lacus and her father, attended by Andrew and Martin, and the rest of the survivors of that squad, also ran up.

Lacus' breath hitched in her throat, and she raised a hand to her mouth in horror, suddenly pale as she leant against her father for support. Kira cast her only a quick glance, then sprung into action. Leaping up onto the chest of the thing he tried to locate the door of the cockpit amongst the almost liquified pieces of metal, though he was only able to identify it by the small ladder compartment present, and even once he had found it, it took all three of the able men to rip the damaged component away. Kira watched it hit the ground, before finally daring to turn and look within the cockpit itself.

What he saw there made him sick.

The sides and floor of the cockpit were splattered in blood, turning the interior into splotched crimson. Parts of the Aegis' metal had pressed through into the cockpit, and pierced through vulnerable skin in more places than Kira cared to count. The pilot's head lolled to one side, held there by a rod which had missed his neck by inches. Not that it mattered, Kira thought weakly, because every other part of his body was damaged in some way. Andrew was the first to move, lowering himself into the cockpit carefully so as to avoid the sharp projectiles he reached a hand out and bent the piece of metal at the pilot's neck away. This revealed that the neck of the suit had been pierced, but the wearer's skin was untouched. Tentatively the man placed a hand on the bare neck exposed, and as Kira bit his lip, waiting for the inevitable, his face lit up in shocked amazement.

"He's alive!"


	26. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Break the World**

Caggallie walked slowly down the hallway of the Archangel, carrying a tray and three mugs, and sighing slightly as she approached the three figures on the bench, holding out her offering, "Here."

Kira looked up wearily and took one of the cups with a mechanical gesture, he had not slept in the last twelve hours, and it showed in the dark circles beneath his eyes. Lacus was presently dosing on his shoulder, and Nichol was sitting beside them, his hands clasped nervously in his lap. Caggallie put Lacus' drink on the bench, and offered the last mug to Nichol. He looked at it blankly, and sighing she withdrew her hand slightly.

"You need to eat," She stated softly, "We all need to keep our strength up."

He nodded then, and obediently took the steaming liquid, Caggallie waiting until she had actually seen him drink from it before sitting down on the edge of the bench beside him, looking to Kira as she spoke, "Anything?"

Kira shook his head, and Nichol sighed heavily, his voice laced with worry and dread as he demanded, "What is taking so long?"

As if in response to this comment the door to the room beside them opened, and a man wearing what would have been a white coat, had it not been stained deep red with blood, stepped out. Kira immediately leapt to his feet, causing Lacus to awaken, and spoke hurriedly to the medic.

"How is he?"

The doctor let out a deep breath before replying, he looked exhausted, and the same weariness was visible in his voice, "Stable, for now." He replied, "If he wasn't a Coordinator I would have given up on him completely. The injuries were far from mild, and he lost so much blood...well, let's just say he's very lucky to still be breathing at all."

"But he'll be alright, won't he?" Lacus asked shakily, her hands trembling where they had seized a hold of Kira's sleeve, "He'll pull through?"

The doctor sighed, then replied slowly, "The boy is stable, but even now he is only holding on by a thread."

Kira visibly composed himself, trying desperately to stay calm, before asking in quiet tones, "When will you know either way?"

The older man shrugged, "I don't know. It's a matter of watching and waiting."

Lacus nodded then, as if making a decision, her lips set firmly, "Be honest, Dr. Lawson, what are the chances?"

"I would say," The doctor paused, "Probably only a twenty five percent chance...of survival."

Lacus paled slightly, and Caggallie had reason to be glad she herself was sitting down, but the songstress' voice remained steady, "Thank you. May we see him?"

"Go right in." The Doctor stepped aside, allowing the four youths into the room, the door closing with a quiet hiss behind them.

Caggallie screwed up her nose as soon as she entered, the place smelled heavily of disinfectant, and the room was perfectly white. Too white. She hated the way hospitals and infirmaries were always colored so purely. What was pure about a place where people died? Or were injured? Brushing such morbid thoughts as far to the back of her mind as they would go she followed the other three, feeling suddenly like she didn't belong here as she approached the bed. If it hadn't been for the gravity of the situation the sight presented there might have been funny, but under such circumstances as these, it certainly wasn't. Athrun was so heavily bandaged he looked like a mummy, not even his face had remained completely unharmed, with a thick white pad of gauze covering his left cheek right up to just below his eye. Some of the white bandages were stained with slowly drying blood, and the hue of the patient's face was a definite white. He was on the life support system for the moment, and nothing broke the stillness except for the steady beep of the heart monitor.

She didn't know why that made her feel like crying, but it did.

* * *

"Idiot! Moron! Complete dolt!" Dearka cringed as Yzak continued his rampage, Athrun's move could easily have been interpreted as just not keeping a good enough hold on his surroundings, and for now, that was what his teammates believed.

"Yzak, calm down!" Dearka tried to intervene, even though his own voice shook slightly, "This isn't going to make things better!"

"I _know_ that!" Yzak snapped, turning on the blond furiously, then paused suddenly, "This is the Freedom's fault."

"Eh?" Dearka was confused at the sudden change of subject, and equally relieved that Yzak had not gone through with the clear intention of punching him.

"This is all the fault of the Freedom," Yzak said menacingly, "The Freedom, the Eternal, and _Lacus Clyne_."

"What are you on about?"

"Don't play thick, Elsman! All this is that girl's fault! Nichol only left because of her, and if it wasn't for her taking the Eternal the Freedom would still be in ZAFT's hands! Not to mention Heliopolis would still belong to us! The woman is a treacherous, dishonest, two faced slut!"

"Please calm yourself, Captain Joule." Rau interrupted, as he stepped into the room, Yzak's jaw dropping at his new title, and Dearka unable to stop himself from stiffening as well.

"Captain?"

"Yes," Rau cocked his head, "Since Athrun's demise you are the next in charge."

"Oh." Yzak blinked, before abruptly beginning another tirade, "There's not much of a team left, you know, we used to be _six_, now look at us."

"Your numbers have diminished somewhat," Rau simply shrugged, looking at the pair calmly, not at all put off by Yzak's furious speech, "But this is war, it is to be expected."

"Yeah, but I can't see us putting up much of a fight in this state." Dearka sighed, leaning back against the locker, "We took one hell of a beating back there!"

"That is true," Rau admitted, "But this team is about to receive some new recruits, the latest elites from the academy."

"Oh, great," Yzak huffed predictably, "A bunch of stuck up newbies!"

"There are four of them," Rau continued, apparently unconcerned by Yzak's lack of enthusiasm, "And one of them is a veteran. I don't think they will give you too much trouble. Also, the two of you are being promoted

to the Special Forces."

Dearka straightened at once, sure he had not heard correctly, "The Special Forces?"

"Correct," The Commander nodded, "On top of that you will each be fitted with a new mobile suit. For that purpose the Vesalius will be withdrawing to the PLANTs, once our regrouping is complete and the troops fighting against the Earth Forces have completed their task we will return and take Orb down once and for all."

"Good," Yzak slammed his fist together, "Because this time, they _will_ fall! Every last one of those bastards!"

Rau smiled slightly, "I have the utmost confidence in your abilities, but for now, get some rest. There will be plenty of time for vengeance later."

* * *

"So, what exactly is the story with the whole Genesis thing?" Caggallie asked, a frown on her face, though she did not think there _hadn't _been a frown there for some time.

Siegel Clyne, who had taken over his daughter's position of command, answered calmly, "From what I heard they are planning to use it as a fortress, they will wait until the Earth Forces use their nukes, then retaliate, and use that as their excuse."

"How long until Genesis is completed?" Mu asked, his face unusually sober, and tired looking. The battle had taken a lot out of all of them, and Caggallie knew they had been fortunate to escape as unscathed as they had. She had come so close to losing..._No! Kira is alive! And Athrun will make it too! He's not allowed to die, not until I tell him _my_ name as well!_

"At least five months," Siegel answered, breaking into her mad thoughts, "The recapture of Heliopolis will set them back a while, and the construction was not scheduled to be completed till the end of November."

"Then we have time," Murrue nodded, relief spreading through her dark eyes, "How well guarded is the project, have you any idea?"

"Most of the veterans are posted there," Siegel explained, "The ZAFT advance forces are the younger generation, Andrew and Martin are the only two I know who aren't posted there."

"Then it will be difficult to reach it." Andrew said slowly, "My old comrades are no fools, though, I do wonder what made them agree to such a plan."

"I understand the general populace believes the Genesis is for defense purposes only," Siegel shrugged, "Although Patrick Zala does have his own share of followers, I'm sure he has swayed a lot of people to his side."

"What about the Earth's nuclear weapons?" Murrue wondered aloud, "We cannot ignore their existence."

"The Earth Forces project is very secretive," Siegel moved his hands in a somewhat helpless gesture, "I couldn't find out much whilst I was there. Even what the ZAFT forces told me was mostly to egg me on."

"We _are_ in a tricky spot, aren't we?" Mu muttered somewhat dejectedly, "Orb isn't exactly secure either, the Vesalius has disappeared off the map again, which most likely means they are going to re equip themselves. The Blitz is out of commission, the Zero is only just holding together. The Freedom we have, granted, and what is left of the Justice might be of some use in repairing the Rouge. We also have the Tiger and Martin's suit, but that is all."

"Mu's right," Natarle spoke unexpectedly, "There is no way Orb can hope to stand up to a second attack alone. Perhaps the Representative would consider an alliance with the Earth Forces?"

"No way!" Caggallie replied immediately, horrified that someone was even considering it,"Orb will not become wrapped up with another nation!"

"But you have already, have you not?" Natarle spoke harshly, "You have spied on both of your so called treaty partners, prying into classified information, which, I might add, has little to do with Orb at all. You deigned to be neutral, but you still get involved in the issues of other nations, what difference does an alliance make?"

"An alliance is different," Kisaki answered before Caggallie could blow her top, "And Orb only looked into the matters you mentioned for personal safety. If you saw another nation preparing nuclear warheads which _could_ or could not be pointed at you, would _you_ ignore it?"

Natarle glared, but fell silent, and further argument was prevented.

"Well," Siegel broke the tension, "For now I think it would be best if you set about fortifying Heliopolis and all the other parts of Orb running around the border. ZAFT will strike when it is least expected. It will be swift, and it will be cruel."

"Yes, we need to fall back and regroup." Caggallie agreed at once, "Kisaki, can you see to the defenses? Have Captain Todaka help you, I am sure he knows the risks and dangers as well as you do."

"Of course." Kisaki replied, "It shouldn't take too long."

"Very good," Murrue sighed softly, "We all need to resupply, and perhaps some more of Orb's mobile suits have been completed in your absence. For now, I suggest we all get some much needed rest, and then we can talk about strategies."

There was no dissent to this suggestion, and as if on cue the group split up, Caggallie immediately making a beeline for the cafeteria and getting four meals, before heading for the infirmary. She was beginning to feel like a waitress doing this, but as she was just about the only one who left the infirmary it seemed only natural. Balancing the plates one on top of another she punched in the code and stepped inside, not quite prepared for the sight that greeted her. The room within was in darkness, so she also had to turn on the light, which revealed the sight of Lacus sleeping in the extra bed, whilst Nichol was seated on the floor with his head resting on his knees dozing. Kira was the only one still wide awake, keeping a constant vigil, even if he looked utterly exhausted.

"I brought dinner," Caggallie said quietly, leaving the other two sleeping and handing Kira his share, "I thought you'd be hungry."

He smiled tiredly at her, accepting the offering, "Thanks."

Sitting down beside him Caggallie tore the lid off her own dish, all the while watching her brother closely, "You should get some sleep, too, you know."

"I'm fine." He waved her off, dismissing her words without even really hearing them.

"No, you're not, you're exhausted," Caggallie insisted, "Look, Kira, I'm not going to lie here. Orb is in serious trouble, our information suggests ZAFT is withdrawing from the battles against the Earth Forces just so they can crush this country. We are going to need you! And you will need to be in top physical form. You need rest."

"I can't," Kira set his lips stubbornly, "I can't leave him...not again."

Caggallie could barely catch the last part, as Kira whispered guiltily, but she answered immediately, "I'll keep watch then," his head jerked up in surprise, "You get some rest."

Kira blinked, "What?"

Caggallie shrugged, "Kisaki is taking care of the defenses for me, so I'm free until we arrive at Orb, where I suppose I shall have to explain why I didn't refer to the Cabinet before going into all those battles. I'm willing to stay here, Kira, if you promise me you'll go get some sleep!"

"Well...I..."

"Don't you trust me?" Caggallie demanded, knowing how to get him around to what she wanted.

"No!" He denied it vehemently, "I do! It's just, I feel responsible..."

"But, Kira, it wasn't your fault, you and I both know that it isn't. And, besides, you should keep in mind I have a debt to repay too!"

"A debt?" He looked at her questioningly.

"Yes, silly!" She snorted, then her face and voice softened, "He saved my brother, do you think I'm not thankful for that?"

"Caggallie..."

Her voice became harsh and commanding once more, "Now go and get some rest!"

"Alright, alright!" Picking up his plate Kira walked towards the door, hesitating once more as he spoke tentatively, "You'll call me if anything..."

"Yes!" Caggallie shouted, as loud as she dared, "Now go already!"

Kira practically ran from the room, causing Caggallie to chuckle to herself, before sliding onto the stool he had occupied. The movement caused a soft grate of noise barely louder than her voice had been, but in the corner Nichol stirred and raised his head tiredly.

"Representative?"

"Caggallie," She answered patiently, "Are you hungry?" She held out the still warm dinner, and he smiled slightly before accepting.

"Thanks. How is he?"

Caggallie looked at the inert form on the bed, and sighed, "Still no change. But that's as good a news as any, right?"

Nichol nodded quietly, and finished his meal in silence, much to her disappointment. Caggallie longed for some speech, but could think of nothing to say. She seemed to be getting a lot of silence lately. That thought startled her, for it awoke a memory she had buried away with all the others of the people she had lost, and slowly she allowed herself to remember the day she had last spent with Ahmed, and the conversation they had shared.

_"That isn't funny! Give them back!" She tried to grab the earplugs from his hands, but he avoided her and grinned mischievously._

_"Why do you need them, eh?"_

_"So I can pretend I'm listening to Kisaki, now give them back!"_

_The smile vanished off his face for a moment, as he placed them back in her hand, "Don't wish for a world of silence, Cags, that is what we don't want."_

Her musings were interrupted as Athrun stirred slightly, and she held her breath for a moment, but in vain. He uttered something incoherent, and fell back into his coma. Caggallie sighed heavily, enough to attract the attention of Nichol, who immediately and predictably spoke at once.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, just tired," She admitted, resting her elbows on the side of the bed and propping her chin in her hands, "It's been pretty hard for the last couple of weeks."

"I guess we haven't exactly made things easy for you..." Nichol trailed off.

"Hey, you were just doing what you thought was right, I don't hold any grudge, not now,anyway."

"What do you think will happen to Orb now?" he asked anxiously, fixing his gaze on his empty dinner tray rather than her face, "Think they...we can hold out against ZAFT?"

"I don't know," Caggallie admitted, reluctant to say it, but not able to lie to him, "As soon as I get to Orb I'm going to have all the remaining citizens sent to the shelters, just in case."

"If Orb loses, any survivors of the military will be put on the run, you know that, right?"

"Yeah," She nodded, her voice firm as she added, "I know that. But, like Lacus said, Orb is a country of principles, principles we won't give up without a fight!"

* * *

Patrick Zala surveyed the monitors showing the construction sight, where an infuriatingly low amount of work was actually taking place. "This is unbearable!" He brought a fist crashing down on the table, though, disappointingly, the Commander didn't even flinch, "How dare Orb reclaim Heliopolis! We could be held up for months now!" And beneath that was the deeper rage, the more infuriated part of him, the part that wanted every single individual within that country to _suffer_. It wasn't how dare they reclaim their own land, it was how dare they claim his _son's _life. The Naturals would suffer, he would make sure of that, and Orb would suffer right along with them, as well as that traitor Clyne, and every last one of the deserters involved with them.

"Not quite," Rau smiled reassuringly, "With the new soldiers you have given me Orb will fall in no time, however, the construction of Genesis may not be completed in time to counter the Earth Forces, so I have a new strategy."

"I'm listening." Patrick resumed his seat behind the desk, by now well aware most of the schemes suggested by this man were of worth.

"Put lesser soldiers on guard, and give me the veterans. This plan would not have worked before, but with the technology we gained from Heliopolis and the new mobile suits built because of this I believe we have a high chance of pulling this off." He paused, "If you supply me with the most elite troops this army has, I believe we could conquer the Earth."

"Conquer?" The Chairman tried to hide his interest, this was better than simply destroying them, this way, he could make sure they suffered,"Explain yourself."

Rau smiled, he could read the man easily, and knew next to that currently boiling anger that his pride was his greatest weakness, "Well, why destroy a world that could serve you with produce and slaves, when you can _have_ it for your own? Once we have robbed it of all it's resources, we can simply destroy it with the Genesis. Keep on building the cannon, we may need it, but this plan is foolproof, I assure you I have thought everything through. ZAFT could have done this at the beginning, had we had the technology we now possess. Also, the latest addition to my team show a very impressive level of skill, I take it you did as I advised?"

"Yes," Patrick linked his fingers, "Using students who have lost families in the war seems to create very good pilots,in any case, I trust you to carry out this mission, and I believe this _is_ a better scheme then the original plan."

"Very good, sir," Rau rose, "There is just one more thing."

"Yes?"

"What shall we call this operation?"

Patrick smiled, "Oh, that is easy. This mission will be called Operation Break the World."


	27. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Shaping Forces**

"Orb is in a state of panic, sir," The unknown voice spoke across the transmission, "Do you really think the Earth Alliance is safe?"

"Of course, Lieutenant,' Muruta waved a hand casually, "Orb is the only thing ZAFT wants to take care of, now that we know they are planning to build a super cannon to stop us I doubt any of their other attacks will be in earnest."

"But..."

"No, buts," He leant forward in his chair, "Remember, agent, you are dispensable, one false move, and I will have you removed from the mission. Understand?"

"Y,sir."

"Good, report back to me if you are still alive at the end of this battle, cheerio!"

* * *

On the other end of the receiver Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel cut the connection, a deep frown on her face. Shaking herself out of dark thoughts about the man to whom she reported she was about to shut off the console when a voice spoke from the shadows behind her.

"Interesting conversation, Natarle, or should it be Sarah _Azrael_?"

The woman swung around, only to find a gun pointed directly at her forehead. Grinding her teeth in frustration she looked up at the man before her, and let out a growl, "Mu La Flaga!"

* * *

"Natarle was a spy?" Murrue gasped, before sitting down in her seat, "How is that possible?"

"Her real name is Sarah Azrael," Mu corrected, his own face a mix between grim and angry, "Younger sister to the Earth Forces commander in chief, she's been telling them everything. Turns out Muruta has a spy on every vessel serving under his command, anybody shows tendencies of disloyalty. Boom. Gone."

"So they know all about ZAFT's doings as well?" Caggallie said slowly, "That may put the PLANTs at a disadvantage."

"We can't worry about that right now," Siegel answered, Lacus nodding beside him, "For now it is the safety of Orb that is paramount. What are our chances for the moment?"

"Well, Orb has managed to fix the Rouge and three other mobile suits were completed in my absence," Caggallie answered, "All of them have pilots. There is also the Zero, The Freedom, The Tiger, Martin's, and The Shadow, which we made out of the remains of the Blitz and the Justice. I'm afraid it can't mirage for any longer than sixty seconds."

"That's fine," Nichol nodded, his voice level, even if his face was slightly pale. Caggallie did not think him a coward for that, anyone who was _not_ afraid right now had to be a complete and utter idiot. "When do you expect the attack?"

"Anytime now," Kisaki replied coolly, "Everything is balancing on a knife edge, if we are lucky, we might just hold them off. It depends who they bring with them."

"Yes," Lacus said slowly, "Everything depends on that."

"There is another thing you should know," Siegel said slowly, "With all the technology they stole from Heliopolis, their weapons could get nasty. The Justice and the Freedom were just a small titbit of what they might have built, we could be up against much worse."

"I thought that technology was going towards the Genesis?" Murrue said questioningly, but Lacus' father shook his head.

"No, I know Patrick well, perhaps even better than he knows himself. He will drop Genesis if it means he has a chance of destroying Orb once and for all, he may even go further, and try for the domination of the planet. Especially now," he trailed off, and it was Lacus who interpreted his final words.

"Especially now he thinks Athrun is dead."

"Whew," Mu grunted, "That's rough."

"I agree," Andrew sighed, "Makes you wonder sometimes what happened to the good old ZAFT that used to function when Martin and I were still soldiers. But people forget, they say they only want to stop history from repeating itself, but they forget the past and begin to make the same mistakes as the people before did. Patrick Zala is doing just that, it was world domination the Earth Alliance sort when it shot down the Seventh Colony, killing thousands of innocent people, and then denied it too, the bastards. I think, had the war begun back then, things could have gotten this nasty a lot quicker, though even now the resentment and anger from that event is still predominant."

"War _is_ a predominant problem," Lacus agreed sadly, "Not only do we lose principles through it, but we forget who we are. The world around us can shape the person we become, whether through the influence of friends and foes, or through events we witness. They can drive us to become murderers, killers, people without souls. Or it can break us, drive people to despair, suicide, or insanity. Sometimes, the world can create people who can laugh and play, forgetting about the troubles that surround them, and sometimes it can create people who are born only to suffer, or so it seems.

Ultimately, however, when it comes down to our characters, a lot of the blame goes to our own decisions, or those of our parents and ancestors. What we do this day not only shapes us, who we are, but it will also shape the lives of those that come after us. If we give in to temptation, and take the easy road, people will think it is okay to do what ZAFT is doing, but by standing up to them and defying them we are keeping love, honor, and justice alive in the world.

In the end, it is not what we have done, how many people know us, how many lives we have saved or taken. It is not whether we have made people happy in our lifetime, if we have infuriated more people than we can count. If we have done wrong, if we have done right. None of this matters. All that matters is who we are, who we _choose_ to be, and that decision alone is in our own hands. It is a responsibility we cannot lay at others feet, for it is our choice, and with it we are shaping the future."

"Quite a speech," Mu said approvingly, "You should start doing rallies."

Lacus smiled, "There are a lot of people in the world who don't know what their purpose in life is. What they don't seem to realize is their life doesn't shape them, they shape their life. If they decide to live a life of bitterness and hatred, that is their decision, the life did not choose them."

"So true," Caggallie said quietly, remembering her own past, "Revenge never fixes anything, it just ruins people."

"Well," Siegel exclaimed, "I never knew there were so many bright young people! I must say I feel honored to stand in your midst!"

"But now," Kisaki interrupted, "Now, we must prepare to fight for that very same world we believe in, before ZAFT steals the freedom you have described."

"You are right," Murrue sighed softly, "If the Chairman succeeds in his goal then the people of Earth will most likely be subjected to servitude, or, more likely, slavery. Since he believes that Coordinators are a superior race, I can't see him giving them equal living rights."

"Then we must stop him," Nichol spoke up, surprising all those present with his sudden boldness, "At all cost, he must be stopped."

* * *

"Welcome, Yzak," Rau stepped forward as the pilot, and newly appointed member of the Special Forces, entered his office, his hand already waving towards the other four occupants of the room, all dressed in the deep, crimson uniforms of ZAFT's elite pilots. "Meet your new team,"

"Heine Westenfluss,"He pointed to the oldest, who was twenty-one, with chestnut hair and green eyes that reminded Yzak eerily of Athrun. This, he supposed, was the veteran Rau had spoken of, and the smooth salute, without the slightest bit of hesitation, assured him that at least he didn't have to worry about this one questioning his orders.

"Rey Za Burrel," The kid had to be no older than seventeen, with shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes. His face was disturbingly expressionless, but it did show a sort of respect.

"Lunamaria Hawk,"The only girl of the group, who looked to be about the same age as Rey. Yzak cringed, he was not good at coping with the female species, although she looked amiable enough. Short auburn locks and bright violet eyes, her quick salute and polite 'hello, sir.' showed she was smart too, knowing full well first impressions were probably the most important.

"And Shin Asuka." The one that worried him, raven colored hair and amber eyes, lips set in a definite pout and arms crossed sulkily. Shin was only sixteen, and obviously felt his age was a disadvantage.

"All of them are the best of the best," Rau continued, "And each of them are fitted with their own mobile suits. Which reminds me," He turned towards Yzak and Dearka with a smile on his face, "I have yet to present you two with your machines."

"That's right," Dearka's face lit up exponentially, "You said we were getting new models!"

"Correct," Rau nodded, "They are in hangar six, here are the entrance passes. Dearka, you will be flying the Legend, whilst Yzak will fly the Destiny. Load them up as soon as you have worked out their systems, we will launch as soon as they are aboard."

"Yes, sir." Yzak nodded, then turned to the new recruits, not wasting any words as he stated curtly,"You may board now."

The foursome saluted, the badges signifying that both Dearka and Yzak were members of the special forces seemed to have silenced most disruption, and Yzak did not bother to look back to make sure his orders had been followed as he hurried to follow Dearka, the blond already bolting out the room towards the hangar.

* * *

Had he looked back, he would have seen Shin's scowl deepen the moment he stepped out of the office, and, coincidentally, out of Commander Le Creuset' sight.

"What's the matter with you?" Lunamaria prodded, "Don't like being told what to do?"

"Shut up," Shin sighed in exasperation, "I just though our new mission would be something more _real_."

"What is unreal about it?" Heine asked patiently, not at all deterred by the boy's glare, "We are taking down the second biggest nation in the world."

"Yeah, and if things fail _we'll_ be blamed for it, not the guys who came up with the plan in the first place." Shin pouted, "It isn't fair being the new recruits."

"A simple remedy, then." Rey answered smoothly as they stepped within the lift.

Shin turned his glare on him, his voice curt, "What?"

"Don't fail."


	28. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: Do or Die**

"You all good?" Mu asked, tapping the leg of the Freedom, as he shouted up at the cockpit.

"Systems are all running at 100%," Kira called back, lowering himself from the height the Freedom provided, before adding, "Has there been any news yet?"

"No," The older man shook his head, "But everyone is still on alert. Caggallie and her new followers are all waiting in their cockpits too, and Andrew and Martin are doing the same."

"How come you're not?" Kira inquired, glancing about suspiciously, "And where's Nichol?"

"He was just checking up on his friend last I knew," Mu shrugged, "And Murdoch is making some final touches to the Zero, I'll go and see how he is doing in a minute."

"Oh, did you want to talk to me then?" Kira asked, leaning against the foot of his machine and folding his arms across his chest.

"Kind of," Mu shrugged, looking slightly ill at ease, "I just wanted to make sure you knew what could happen. The odds are against us, and many people could die today, Kira. You're still young, are you willing to suffer that?"

"I can't turn back now," Kira replied firmly, giving his head a slight, feeble shake, "I'm in too deep, besides, I can't let Caggallie down like that, or Lacus."

"That's the spirit," Mu grinned, slapping him heartily on the shoulder, "More foolish than courageous!"

"Who?" Nichol asked, as he stepped into the hangar, making his way over towards the other two, "What's going on?"

"Nuthin." Mu replied innocently, and more than a little childishly.

"How's Athrun?" Kira interjected, watching as Nichol simply rolled his eyes. The boy was quickly learning not to take La Flaga seriously, in fact, Kira had heard him discussing the fact that blond pilots, male ones, at least, seemed to always be a little...odd. He wondered if the male part had been a good save on Nichol's part, or whether it was predetermined addition to the conversation. In Kira's opinion, Caggallie was as odd as Mu, if only for that temper of hers.

"Still out," Nichol responded to his question, "But the doctor said his condition was stabilizing."

Kira let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, "I'm glad..." He was cut off as the alarm on the Archangel began to shrill, and instantly spun to climb back up into the Freedom.

"Crap." Mu tore off towards his vessel, whilst Nichol clambered up into the cockpit of his own, improvised machine.

"You ready?" Kira asked across the com, "We'll be up against the Vesalius again."

"Ready as I'll ever be," Nichol gulped slightly, just barely audible, "When do we launch?"

"Now!" Mu shouted, as he fired up the Zero's engines and shot out into the air, "They're right on us!"

"What? How did they get in without being noticed?" Nichol demanded, launching straight afterwards.

"Seems they've found a way to make mirage colloid work on the big guns, " Mu replied, punctuating Kira's own launch by proceeding with an exclamation, "Holy crap! Where did those come from?"

This last comment was directed at the six new mobile suits launching from the Vesalius, all of them lining up before the mother ship for a moment, before one by one darting towards the Orb Forces.

"There is no data on these things!" Kira yelled, blocking a blow from the Destiny, before pushing it back as best as he was able. "Good grief, ZAFT really _is_ serious about wiping us out!"

* * *

"Bastard!" Yzak growled, from within the cockpit of the Destiny, his hands tightening reflexively on the controls, "This time you are going down! This one's mine, take your pick of the others!"

"Roger," Dearka answered, "I think I'll take the Zero, I like that guy."

"Like?" Heine chuckled, "More likely you have rivalry running. I guess that leaves me the little one." he added, floating towards the Shadow.

"The Tiger, The Rouge, and the Da Costa," Rey evaluated, "Also three new mobile suits, I guess the veterans will take those."

"I bag the Tiger!" Shin shouted, not waiting for a reply as he soared towards the machine.

"Then Da Costa is mine!" Lunamaria retorted, "I want a veteran too!"

Rey merely shrugged indifferently, directing his machine towards the Rouge,

* * *

Rau watched the two scenes play out before him on the console, one showing the battle between his own team and a few of the veterans, the other a vicious battle taking place between the Earth Forces and the full strength of ZAFT's fleet. To him, Orb was nothing more than a fly, although they did have some good pilots on their side, there was no way they could stand up to ZAFT's superior mobile suits and larger numbers. Even with over half their forces battling the Earth Alliance the ZAFT advance fleet was still huge, and the carefully laid plans he had been making to get this far were finally coming to fruition. Now it did not matter what setbacks he might have experienced, because this time, he _was_ the winner.

"Ades, target the Archangel," he sighed in a bored manner, "That is a ship I have been longing to take down."

"Yes, sir." The captain of the Vesalius quickly acknowledged the command, ordering the main cannons to be swung around, before on his word they began to fire.

* * *

As Kira faced blow after relentless blow from an apparently almost suicidal assault from the Destiny he found his mind taking him back to his life or death battle with the Aegis, the battle where Athrun's assaults had been much the same, and where he hadn't been able to find the willpower to fight back. For a moment he recalled the spike of pain rushing through his body as he reached out with trembling fingers to seize the ejection button, before forcefully he brushed the thought from his mind. This wasn't the Aegis, and this _wasn't_ Athrun.

He blocked a blow from the Destiny, and brought his own sword down right afterwards, the enemy blocking it with it's shield, before pulling a gun.

Kira dipped down and spun around behind the Destiny, bringing his own gun into play as he did so. But, moving swiftly, the new vessel just managed to get it's shield up in time, pulling it's sword out so the blow for blow battle began all over again.

* * *

Caggallie was having trouble of her own fighting against an opponent who happened to be at least ten times more cool headed than her, her occupation so complete she barely had time to take a quick glance about the battlefield to see how her forces were fairing, though what she saw was quite enough to make her heart sink. The battle was not going well at all, in fact it was a near massacre, and nobody but a fool could believe Orb was going to get out of this one unscathed.

In fact, they would be lucky if they got out of it alive.

* * *

Nichol knew his erratic pattern was confusing the other pilot, who still managed to block every blow given by the swift vessel, and was determined it should remain so. He knew that his two teammates were most likely inside one of the new machines, and since he did not know which one he was forced to make sure he did not give them any chance of an advantage, as he had done for Yzak before. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Mu struggling against the Legend, and further off Caggallie fighting against the Phantom, neither of their battles going any better than his own. Scowling in frustration, Nichol allowed his rarely vented temper to explode.

"Damn it! Where did they get all these new ones?"

* * *

Aboard the Archangel the ship rocked and plunged as rockets from the Vesalius exploded all around it, waves sprouting on either side as the near misses continued, Murrue's voice growing hoarse from shouting 'Evade', and the entire crew beginning to tire from the frantic, constant action.

"Freedom's power is getting critically low!" Mirriallia called.

"The Rouge has taken damage!" Sai added,

"Rockets incoming from point 5.6!" Arnold warned.

"Evade!" Murrue yelled raspily, "Evade at will. Fire Godfreys!"

"Ma'am, the Shadow has taken damage! Requesting emergency landing!" Flay cried.

"Granted!" Murrue ordered, "Warn Murdoch!"

"Roger." Flay quickly complied, her hands darting across the keypad, but no more swiftly than her counterparts.

"Enemy vessel approaching from the south," Tolle added, "Another coming from the East, and..."

"One from the West as well!" Arnold gasped, "Captain, they have us surrounded!"

"Then we have no choice!" Murrue called, keeping her cool amongst the panic, "Submerge us!"

"But the Freedom and the Zero are still out there!" Mirriallia protested, spinning about in her seat to stare wide eyed at her captain.

Murrue dropped her head, "I know," she whispered, "But we have no choice, now dive!"

* * *

"Argh!"

Kira found himself jostled about the cockpit as the Destiny, minus its saber and gun, used it's shield instead. He was sure the other pilot must be completely insane, smashing the blunt instrument down on the Freedom again and again without pause.

"Damn it, stop this now!"

Kira screamed, trying to disarm his opponent for the final time, knowing that he was not in any position to even attempt the movement. As expected his enemy was quicker, and shooting upwards the Destiny brought it's shield smashing right down on the chest of the Freedom.

"Gah!" Kira screamed, as the front of his cockpit bent inwards, before the impact of the blow sent him flying backwards, his head cracking against the side of the cockpit and the world fading to black.

* * *

The Freedom was undoubtedly beaten, but Yzak was not done, and moving the Destiny deftly he slipped in behind the falling vessel and seized a firm hold around it, laughing with elation as he began to drag it back towards the Vesalius.

"I was going to kill you," He chuckled, "But I think it would be more fun if I got to punch your face in instead!"

"Kid!" Mu shouted, "Hang on, I'm coming!"

"I don't think so!" Dearka shot in front of him, slicing off the Zero's right wing, "Tehe, whoops!"

"Bastard!" Mu muttered, fighting to stabilize his vessel, but the Zero was too badly damaged, and soon he found his nose pointing directly for the ocean, with no way whatsoever to change his course. "This is B-A-D!" Moving swiftly he unfastened his safety belt, then grinned slightly as he realized where he was going to land, and, opening the cockpit, he made a clean dive...

* * *

"We have picked up the Lieutenant!" Tolle announced grimly, "The Zero is lost."

"I can't reach the Freedom!" Mirriallia cried in alarm shortly afterwards.

"The Rouge is hit." Sai added yet again, and Murrue contemplated burying her head in her hands and screaming, before reminding herself _she_ was in charge.

"Everybody calm down! The Kusanagi will have to help her," Murrue sighed, "We can't do anything down here. Murdoch, damage assessment!"

"We won't be able to emerge for a while yet, Captain," The head mechanic shook his head, the screen slightly fuzzed over, though whether due to damage or interference she did not know, "The damage is bad."

Murrue nodded slowly, having expected as much, "Send word to our allies, we are withdrawing from the battlefield."

"But ma'am, they will pursue us!" Arnold objected pointedly.

"I know." Murrue answered, already implementing the next part of her plan, "Murdoch, which of our engines is the worst damaged?"

"The right fore," The mechanic replied, "I'd say it's almost beyond salvaging."

"Very well," the captain nodded, "Arnold, disconnect the engine and detonate it."

"What?"

"We have to make them believe we were shot down." She continued firmly, "Otherwise, we are all going to be destroyed."

"Just do as she says," A dripping Mu entered the room, turning all the wide eyed glances in the room to his face, "Right now, we don't have any other choice."

* * *

Caggallie half landed/half crashed the Rouge aboard the Kusanagi, leaping from the cockpit with such force she almost smacked into Kisaki.

"Caggallie," his voice was gentle, and she already knew what he was going to say before the bass tone put voice to the words, "This is a fight we cannot win."

Caggallie nodded slowly, fighting to keep back the tears, forcing herself to take a deep breath to calm herself, then turning to Kisaki, "Who is still alive?"

"The Shadow has been retrieved by the Archangel, as has Lieutenant La Flaga. The Freedom has been captured by ZAFT, but we do not know the situation of the pilot. Out of the three new suits two of them have suffered damage, one is down for good. The Tiger is holding out for the moment, but the Da Costa is running critically low on power."

"Very well," Caggallie nodded again, then gazed up wearily at the Rouge, "Get me on the open com line."

* * *

The explosion caused a giant wave to lift high into the air, showering mobile suits and the Vesalius alike in water, before dropping down to it's original level, and smoothing out to calm. Rau did not move, and only allowed the smile of satisfaction to form when the operator spoke the sweet words of victory.

"Identification confirmed, the Archangel has been destroyed."

"Very good," He smiled coldly, "Now get rid of the other two ships, and all this will be over."

* * *

"We are losing," Lacus said slowly, her father only nodding, before she added, "This will be hard."

He looked down at her, "Hard?"

She made the affirmative motion, "If we had succeeded here, things might have been easier in the future. It is probable ZAFT will now gain control of the Earth. There is no doubt things will be harder from now on."

"So, you're thinking of resistance?" He did not sound surprised, but she replied anyway.

"How can I not?" Lacus bit her lip, "They have taken Kira, it is the only way to get him back."

* * *

"Andrew, I'm almost out of power here!"

"Return to the Eternal, Martin," His comrade replied, "There's nothing more you can do here."

"What about you? You can't hold them alone!"

"Two of Orb's vessels are still up and running," Andrew replied grimly, "We'll hold a little longer."

"Alright, just don't die, okay?" Martin swung his vessel around and launched into retreat, the ZAFT forces turning their attention on the last three standing, more attention than any of them could possibly wish for.

"Time to finish this!" Dearka said grimly, drawing his saber, "For the honor of ZAFT!"

The battle call was echoed by all those around them and Andrew gritted his teeth, clutching his controls tightly as he muttered under his breath, "What honor?"

* * *

"Go ahead, Caggallie." Kisaki nodded, handing her the headset, but not stepping back as she expected, instead remaining where he was, and laying a firm hand on her should. She appreciated that far more than she could have ever expressed with words,and taking a deep breath she slipped the device over her head. For a moment she listened to the madness outside, then began to speak, at first quietly, but her voice gaining volume as she continued. These words she had prepared from the beginning, for, although she had denied it, she had known this was the way things would end, known, somehow, that they would not see victory, not today.

"Attention all Orb vessels, withdraw from the battlefield immediately. The fleet will retreat to point Indigo," She paused, then delivered the last words heavily, "They win this round."


	29. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: Hiding**

Submerged beneath the ocean floor, sealed within an almost ethereal world separate from that above it was easy to forget, just for a moment, the events of the past few days as the wondrous beauty of the underworld revealed itself. But just for a moment, because no matter how pretty this place was, Caggallie knew full well it could not supply them with what they needed. Food, fresh water, and news of the upper world. No, that task had been left in the hands of the Clynes', both of whom were currently above the surface, getting in touch with the various agents of Clyne Faction in order to try and plot some source of supplies for the three vessels submerged beneath the ocean, just outside the borders of Orb. They were also looking for people willing to shelter them above ground, knowing it was not possible to keep three entire crews below ground forever. Caggallie had wanted to go with the group, but she had realized, even without Lacus' subtle reminder, that her face, at least, was far too easily recognizable. She had wanted to point out that perhaps, in that case, the Clynes were hardly more suitable, but then, considering Andrew and Martin were the only other two capable of contacting the members of the Faction, whom had likely gone to ground, the pair were probably necessary in drawing them out.

Which left her alone on the Kusanagi, with very little to do except from think of all that had gone wrong, and to worry of what had become of Kira, with nobody she could share her worries with. There was Kisaki of course, but she didn't think he counted under these circumstances, which is why she had chosen to transfer to the Archangel and go in search of Nichol. No matter the fact she did not know him as well as some of the others, she knew he would be willing to listen, and besides, it wasn't like _he_ had anyone to talk to either. Kira's friends were still too wary of his presence, and Mu, the only other one who might be considered a 'child', was with Murrue dealing with their spy. What they intended to do with 'Natarle' Caggallie had no idea, and she much rather preferred to remain uninvolved.

It had been whilst on that endeavor for company that she had been distracted, briefly, by the observation deck on the Archangel, from where one had a wide window into the aquatic realm, and she had not been able to pass it by. The atmosphere was tranquil here, nothing like the world above, and for a moment, one beautiful moment, it was pleasant just to pretend.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Startled out of her dazed reverie Caggallie jerked her head around to observe the very person she had been seeking, his own eyes fixed on the outside world, rather than her, "We had aquatic centers on the PLANTs, but it's nothing in comparison to the real thing."

"I don't think a replica ever compares to the real thing," Caggallie answered quietly, turning her back to the ocean floor, and leaning the back of her head against the cool glass, arms folded across her chest, "It is only a replica, after all."

"You think so?" he glanced at her briefly, but whatever he was thinking was not voiced, as he instead changed the subject, "I've been going over the reports and data from that last battle," Caggallie stiffened, but waited in silence, "All the video footage, and the written data as well. From what I can see, it is more likely the Freedom was taken than destroyed. Though the signal was lost, there was no heat from an explosion, so it was more like an equipment failure, or something."

"Is it any better, though?" she kept her gaze straight ahead, rather than turning to look at the Coordinator, "Being a prisoner of war?"

"If normal procedure is followed he'll be taken back to the PLANTs to stand trial in court, at least, I think that is what will happen. Your brother was a Coordinator, so it depends on whether they treat him as a traitor, or as a soldier from the other army."

"And if he is found to be a traitor?"

"He'll be executed," Nichol spoke softly, but did not mince the truth, "If he's found to be the enemy, it might be the same fate, but he has a better chance of survival. He's more likely to be sent to one of the camps in the latter's case."

"He's a soldier of Orb," unconsciously she clenched her hands, forcing her voice to remain steady, "They must see him as such."

"That's why there will be a trial," Nichol advised her, "To decide his status, that is, if he really was captured. If we're lucky, the Clyne Faction's operational agents in the PLANTs will be able to bring us news. I know there is at least one agent still there, and he should be high enough up the ranks to find out."

"How do you know that?" Caggallie was curious, "I didn't think you were actually a member of the Faction?"

"I'm not," his smile was slightly triumphant, and proud, "But my father _is_."

* * *

The first place Lacus had chosen to visit was Marchio's orphanage, the most out of the way of their agents within Orb, and a place they were not likely to be seen visiting. Her father had chosen rather to go into the city with Martin, whilst Andrew accompanied his young charge to the countryside. All was strangely quiet here, muted even, as though the world had fallen silent in the face of what had just happened. Of course, the news announcements had been read out several days before, when ZAFT claimed governorship of the nation, declared the entire military force as wanted individuals, and put out rewards for turning the Clynes and Caggallie Yula Attha over to the ZAFT forces now in residence. That alone would have been reason enough for the sense of brooding that hovered over the country, without the subsequent news that the Earth Alliance had also suffered a major loss, and that ZAFT was now the supreme force in both space and on Earth. Patrick Zala's swift rise to power was disturbing on many levels, not just in the fact that it _had_ been so swift and unchallenged, but that his intolerance for Naturals foretold of bloodshed in the future. It had been logical, therefore, to visit Marchio, who held one of the largest networks of contacts through both the PLANTS and the Earth, in the hopes he would be able to fill them in on as many of the events as possible.

Even if speaking of battle and war to the backdrop of children's laughter did seem surreal.

"ZAFT is secure in it's power now, and from what we can see the Chairman's confidence in his complete victory is far from unfounded," In Marchio's case, the term 'see' was figurative, as the man had lost his sight many years ago. Despite this, he retained an insight into current affairs that had proved itself invaluable again and again, and Lacus trusted him as both an ally, and as a loyal friend, "The Earth Forces have been forced into hiding, a predicament not dissimilar to Orb, though it seems as though their Chief of Command may have survived that assault. One could say the Earth has been cowed, then, but on the other hand there has been much unrest in the PLANTs. Your disappearance and apparent treachery, Miss Clyne, may be seen as the main reason for that, including the broadcast you made during battle. The people are divided, and not just the Clyne Faction and the others. The Peace Committee is teetering, and it looks as though the entire thing might be abolished before long. Too many people upon it were loyal to your father, and the Chairman knows every last one of them. I believe our allies amongst the Defense Committee are still safe for the most part, and there are a few contacts remaining within the army itself, but if the Peace Committee is truly abolished I cannot see the Chairman merely sitting back idly and letting it's members walk away."

"They will be declared traitors," Lacus nodded, sighing softly as she glanced down at the unusually subdued Haro on her lap. The small toy's quietness only seemed to emphasize the seriousness of their position, and she glanced away, turning back to the man before her, "Has there been any news of what I asked?"

"Nothing, I'm afraid, Miss Clyne," the dark haired man shook his head slowly, "The Vesalius has yet to return to the PLANTs, if your young pilot _was_ taken, it is to be assumed he is still on that vessel."

"I see," nodding again she lapsed into pensive silence for a moment. Considering their current situation was not something she willingly engaged in, for no matter which way she looked at it she could not find a way out. She was Lacus Clyne, she was supposed to hold the answers, and to most questions she _did_, just...not this one. She could counter the Chairman verbally, challenge the soldiers serving him to consider what cause it was they were _really_ supporting, but when it came down to actually fighting those battles, to the physical confrontations, she was just another young woman. She was not like Caggallie, she did not have the skills to battle, and it was a weakness she was coming to despise, yet still a weakness she could not show. They were in battle now, and many of these men who had come to their aid solely because she had asked them to were depending on her, she _could not_ crumble now. "We are in a precarious position indeed, then, without a means of fighting back. I do not condone the use of force in any way, but, unfortunately, it would seem that will be our only way out of this."

"That's true," Andrew murmured from his post behind her, "I can't see us winning this without battle."

"In which case you will need to find yourself allies," Marchio interjected, "No matter how unlikely they might seem to begin with. I will see what I can do to help you, but in the meantime, I understand you need a place to make your headquarters?"

"That is true," she nodded, remembering the extensive damage to many of their vessels, "We need somewhere where we can repair the damage to our fleet, and yet somewhere ZAFT doesn't know about."

"I think I might have the answer for you," the blind man responded almost instantly, "I have a friend, within Orb, who formerly lived in the PLANTs. He was an engineer employed by the military, but he departed from the colonies once the threat of war first began to bloom, almost ten years ago. So far as I know, he still maintains a hangar of his own where he dabbles in his old profession during his spare time. He is loyal to the Clyne Faction, and his location is far enough out of the way that ZAFT is not likely to stumble across it. His wife runs a hotel in the back country of Orb, so there should be plenty of room as well."

"That sound perfect for us," Andrew agreed almost instantly, "You certainly have the connections, don't you? Ah, well, who is this fine gentleman? He's sounding better by the moment!"

"His name," the older man replied calmly, "Is Alistair Hawk."

* * *

The first indication he was not dead was the intensely acute feeling of complete and utter agony that was only slightly muted by whatever drugs he instinctively knew were within his system. That indication was easy to shove to the back of his only half lucid mind, however, he knew how to deal with pain, and the second, more hated indication was invading his blurred senses. The smell was what registered in his mind first, that mix of blood and crisp sterility, followed by the pressure of fabric about skin at a much tighter tautness than he was used to, and the needle he knew was vaguely important injected into the vein of his arm. An infirmary, then.

He wasn't dead, or if he was, this was hell.

His attempts to pry his eyes open were only half successful, revealing a blur of white and gray that swirled in a morbidly fascinating pattern for several moments before making him feel sick, and forcing him to relinquish the battle for a few seconds before trying again. His hearing, on the other hand, was much more cooperative, and though his mind obstinately refused to connect all the dots, the conversation going on not that far away from where he lay still reached him in bits and pieces.

"He...awake, but...lucid enough..."

"We...fetch...kid...Representative...they...want...know"

The voices trailed away, leaving him in the deafening silence once again. A silence he supposed, had his mind been capable of rational thought, he _should _have used to try and figure out his current position. That was what the part of his mind that had been trained said anyway, the little soldier's box that tried to control reactions to every possible scenario, with, in his experience, mixed success. This certainly wasn't the situation he had expected, or one he was sure he had been trained to expect, though there was the indistinct memory of not expecting to wake up at all, as metal tore into flesh and there was blood...

"Athrun!" the voice was foggy and vague, almost overridden by his rapidly increasing breathing, a sense of panic he could not control overriding his programmed reactions, "Hey, it's okay, " There was a cool touch on the right side of his face, and a faint pressure on the opposite shoulder that restrained his attempts to thrash, and that, more than anything, helped anchor him back in reality, away from the terror of an event that hadn't held the power to scare him at the time, but which now, looking back, was utterly paralyzing, "Everything is all right, just breath."

He recognized that voice from...somewhere, though it was not familiar enough to be readily apparent, the next one to speak certainly was.

"Is he okay?"

"I think so," the first speaker, a girl, had turned away, her voice slightly quieter, "Just confused. Sedatives don't help the mind a lot in that respect."

"Nichol."

His infuriatingly slow mind finally supplied the name to be uttered, though his actual voice was weak and broken, and he was not even sure he had been heard as a brief silence followed. That pause allowed his mind to make the connection that he had to be on the Archangel then, before the younger pilot spoke again, from closer this time.

"Yeah, it's me..."

"What?" he might have said more, had the slightly offended sounding other not interjected, "No words of welcome for me?"

He _knew_ that voice, he was sure of it, and frustrated with his mind's inability to provide a face, much less a name, he ventured to open his eyes again. There was a hint of cream and gold mingled with the colors of before this time, before the entire pictured slid into something that just barely represented focus, enough for him to distinguish a human face, at least, even if it looked more like a smudge. It was enough, at the very least.

"...You...?"

"Yes, me, are you disappointed?" her response was brighter this time, and she sounded...relieved? He was not cognitive enough to be sure of that, but he made the painstaking effort of granting her a response to her question.

"Depen's," the word was only half pronounced, but it was difficult enough to breath right now, let alone speak, "Do I...get a lecture...this time?"

"I hadn't thought of that," he closed his eyes as the picture swirled again, and his grimace was not entirely due to physical pain as she continued, "You can't really talk back now, so..."

"I'd...prefer it...if you didn't."

She gave a sort of choked snort that might have been an attempt not to laugh, before her voice softened abruptly, taking him by surprise, "You really are an idiot, you know that, right? You have no idea how you had us all worried! I mean, are you crazy? What kind of an idiot..."

"Kira!" the realization hit him with such force it nearly stole his breath away, the thing his mind tried to shout coming out as a breathless whisper, "Is he...?"

"Kira is alive, Athrun, you don't need to worry," he wondered why Nichol had hesitated before speaking, the quiet shuffle closer to his bedside indicating the girl had either turned to glance at the young pilot, or simply shifted uneasily, "You saved his life."

"Then, where...?" He supposed he shouldn't have expected his friend to be here, after all, saving his life hardly made up for trying to kill him and attack his country in the first place, but still, he had hoped...

"He would be here," she sounded so certain, as if she had read his thoughts, though he would not have put it past her, "But he can't leave at the moment. Therefore, _I_ am here on his behalf, and I believe I owe you an official introduction."

That statement, spoken with complete sincerity, drew his reluctant eyelids open again, this time the room choosing to cooperate by remaining still, at least so long as he only half opened his eyes, just enough so her face, and the edge of Nichol's coat, were in view.

"Caggallie Yula Attha," her brown eyes were twinkling slightly beneath a veil of some emotion he could not quite comprehend, looking much brighter than they had been on the island, though the hand she extended was not for shaking, but to brush away the stray locks of hair that had fallen to obstruct his vision, "At your service."

"Rep..resentative...Attha?"

"Now why is it," she turned to scowl at Nichol, who was smiling faintly, if worriedly, "That _he_ can figure that out when he's drugged and I couldn't do the same when I was cognitive?"

"I'm...going to choose not to answer that," Nichol replied wisely, "You'll have to figure it out on your own, I'm afraid."

"Figures," Caggallie muttered, scowling at the younger boy for a moment, before turning back to her slightly bemused audience, "You look utterly awful, you know that?"

He only nodded vaguely, considering breathing a hard enough challenge for the moment, let alone speaking, before allowing his eyes to slide closed.

BREAK

"He's going to find out we were hiding it from him eventually," Nichol stated pensively, sounding worried, once the blue haired Coordinator's breathing had evened out, the strained expression on his face slackening as unconsciousness provided the relief from pain even the medication could not quite deliver, "Don't you think we should have told him the truth?"

"Definitely not," Caggallie was firm as she rearranged the thin blanket covering the slumbering young man, choosing to focus on that, rather than Nichol's doubtful face, "Besides, we didn't lie. Kira _is_ alive."

"You don't know that..."

"He _is_," she cut him off fiercely before he could go further, spinning around so swiftly the young pilot took a rapid step backwards. Realizing she was not being fair Caggallie sighed before reseating herself on the edge of the bed, placing her elbows on her knees and her heads in her hands, "I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely, "I'm being unfair. But I truly do believe Kira survived. He did it once, why not again?"

"And if he hasn't?" he could be quite tenacious, when he wanted to be, she thought in bemusement.

"Then we'll tell Athrun, but right now, I hardly think telling him his best friend is dead even after all the trouble he went through to keep him alive is constructive, particularly not when his life could hang in the balance. You heard what the doctor said..."

"I know, I know," Nichol held up a hand defensively, before quoting effortlessly, "No shocks, keep it quiet, and for the love of mercy, don't talk about war."

"Yes, he was quite explicit, wasn't he?" Caggallie laughed quietly, before sobering, "He's right though. Athrun's condition is...delicate, we need to be careful, because I have a feeling _he_ won't be."


	30. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Living**

Yzak had never considered before how the younger members of the team seem to gravitate to those of their own age, chattering together, whilst the older, more experienced soldiers gathered together separately. He supposed it should have been something he was aware of, he had seen it often enough in the team he served on, but today, with nothing to do _but_ think as the Vesalius made it's way back the PLANTs, another glaring fact had presented itself. Excepting Miguel, who had been older than any of them, a late graduating red-coat, it had been the youngest members of the team to go first. Rusty, at Heliopolis, Nichol deserting at Orb, and Athrun finally following in Rusty's footsteps, caught in friendly fire of all the stupid things. Yzak was not a person to take the easy way, and he had not chosen a rival who was weak, even if he grudged admitting Athrun had possessed his own type of strength, he _knew_ the younger pilot had been talented, so _why_ had he made such a fundamental mistake?

Much and all as it had been easy to blame the Freedom, to blame Lacus Clyne, hell, to blame _Orb_, there was still one larger, much more obvious fact that presented itself now there was a moment to stop and think. Another person who could be considered responsible, for not heeding a warning, and for making the decision that had ultimately cost Athrun's life.

For it had been Rau Le Creuset who sent the pilot into battle, even _after_ Yzak warned him.

The 'test' of Athrun's loyalty had proven nothing, and had driven the casualties in their team to the half way point, the losses, if one included Nichol's desertion, overtaking that margin. He did not think there was any other elite team with such a high rate of casualties so early on in it's life..Despicable., and he couldn't even blame Athrun's inefficiencies for that.

It had shocked him, somewhat, to hear the news that ZAFT had won battles not only in Orb, but also against the Earth Forces, driving back an enemy that had kept them at a standstill for almost twelve months. ZAFT had had the upper hand almost from the start, they just hadn't been able to enforce it, and it seemed only the new gear constructed after Heliopolis had been taken had helped that. ZAFT was now the supreme, controlling power on the Earth, and as it's head, Chairman Zala had a hold of the reins on that horse, the key, one could say, to the entire world.

Was that too much power for one man? Or, more importantly, why the _hell_ did he even _care_?

But Yzak was not going to lie to himself, and he knew that something about this entire situation had his skin crawling on edge. Even if he couldn't name it, he _knew_ it existed, and that was enough. So how else was he to discover what it was, without asking himself the questions he knew the more conscientious members of the team would have if they were there. _Was _it too much power, especially when it was being wielded in the manner Patrick Zala's announcements had proved it would be? Yzak had no liking for Naturals, they could all crawl into a hole and die so far as he was concerned, but _killing _them off like animals seemed a little over the top. Establishing a 'we don't like you, you don't like us' relationship was one thing, organizing an animal hunt another entirely. Much and all as he hated to admit it, they weren't animals, and as a leading, political figure the Chairman was setting one bad example in treating them as such.

He could only imagine what Athrun would have had to say about that, not that the man's son's sanity hadn't been in question as well. What kind of a complete and utter imbecile allowed himself to be shot down by friendly fire? _And_ these thoughts were running in circles, never a good sign, if he didn't watch out, he was actually going to end up _emulating _the broody bastard.

"I see, so your team was a part of the initial battle for Heliopolis?"

The conversation between Dearka and Heine, which he had been purposefully ignoring up until now, appeared to have taken an interesting turn, and Yzak found himself turning his attention away from his inner musings and to the other two seated at his table, the younger three just one table down, something that was so eerily familiar it was almost creepy. He might have glared at the three for making him have such ridiculous thoughts, except Dearka chose that moment to reply, and _he_ chose to listen.

"Yup," Dearka was staring at his cup, though not as his usual gesture to add atmosphere by appearing reluctant, but because he truly _was_ reluctant. Yzak could not blame him for that, after all, their missions after that one might as well have been a long list of disasters, for their team, if not for ZAFT. "We were in charge of the operations, a bunch of newbies, barely out of the Academy a year. I think most of the troops thought the Chairman was insane for assigning _us_ to such a mission, or biased."

"His son was your captain, correct?" He had learned that Heine had been posted at Headquarters previous to this engagement, before being added to the team serving under Talia Gladys, which was then presented as a pretty package to him, so it was no surprise Heine knew of the deployment of authority in their initial squad. As pilots went, Yzak had to admit Heine was fairly skilled, and he was a decent person too, a far cry from the stroppy Shin Asuka, whom he was _not_ convinced should yet be off apron strings.

"Yeah, captain for a month and a week, the glory of it!" Dearka was being unusually sarcastic, even bitter, and Yzak pondered the cup anew, wondering if it was possible for the blond to have smuggled some alcoholic beverage aboard. Dearka may have played at indifference, but Athrun's death had affected him as much as it had Yzak, even if Dearka had been less...verbal, about it. They may not have been best friends with the idiot, but he was still a comrade, and he was still a loss. He was pulled from his thoughts yet again as Dearka continued, this time his voice undoubtedly bitter, his words the most pessimistic Yzak had ever heard uttered from his lips.

"You must know, Heine, so tell me...Was our team the most unsuccessful one of the bunch or not?"

"That depends on your view of success now, doesn't it?" the older pilot was amazingly diplomatic, and simply folded his hands beneath his chin, keen green eyes studying them both with a thoughtful glance, "Yes, it is true that this team has suffered more casualties and losses than others, but it has also been granted control of some of ZAFT's most prestigious operations to date, each one of which was eventually completed successfully. Given the challenges you were all facing, I believe it is to be expected not everything would run smoothly, it is an unfortunate fact, but a fact nonetheless. You simply have to learn to balance the good with the bad."

"What if you come up negative?"

"Then you make do," Heine's response was matter of fact, "It isn't like there is anything you can do to change it except try and do better next time. Unfortunately the past is the one thing you can't rectify, though it is usually what you most wish to, so, we just have to pick up the pieces and keep on living."

"You a philosopher now?" Dearka raised an eyebrow, but Heine simply gave a small laugh, before shaking his head.

"An optimist, perhaps, but not a philosopher. If I thought that much, I wouldn't have a place in the army now, would I? But I do believe that things have to turn around eventually, and if you've been given a bad deal, you just have to hope the next one will be better."

"I could spend all year waiting for a good deal." Dearka whined piteously, so that Yzak was sure they were no longer speaking of the same subject, though he was quick to pick up on the new one the moment he saw the blond glancing towards the sole female on the team.

_That _issue was rectified almost immediately by a sharp slap to the back of the head that was so lightening quick it had Heine blinking in surprise, wondering how exactly Dearka had managed to whack his own forehead on the table. Fortunately, before the blond could retaliate, and remove all illusions of dignity surrounding the three eldest members of the team, the Commander's intimidating figure loomed in the doorway, the masked gaze sweeping the room efficiently, before approaching the table.

"We have a message from the PLANTs," he stated without preamble, voice as cool and calm as it had been upon their first meeting, "Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman, your presence is requested in the Supreme Council Chambers as soon as we have landed, to receive the rewards due after your heroic efforts."

"What kind of rewards?" Dearka asked meekly, still rubbing the red mark on his forehead.

"What else?" Rau seemed surprised he had to ask, "Captain Joule is being promoted to Commander, and you, Elsman, will be taking his role as captain."

Well, Yzak mused, whatever illusions of dignity there had been were gone now anyway, gone the moment Dearka leapt up with a whoop of triumph, and spilled his drink all down the front of his tunic.

* * *

Caggallie was still present the second time Athrun Zala started to wakefulness, his transition from slumber to consciousness punctuated by a weak gasp, and the twitch of a hand that was all the physical reaction his damaged body could give in response to the signals sent by the brain. For a single moment, the abruptly revealed green eyes were terror filled, but normalcy, if confusion was normal, returned so quickly it was debatable anyone but the closest observer would have seen it.

"Welcome back to the world of the living," she spoke cheerfully the moment his head turned slightly to encompass her in his pensive gaze, "Still remember me?"

"Attha," was the uttered response, "Kira's sister. Orb's representative."

For a moment she frowned, unable to comprehend why his tone sounded so dull. His body was healing more quickly than even the doctors had hoped, and speech seemed to be coming easier to him now, but from what she had learned he should still be in a considerable amount of discomfort. For some reason, on the other hand, she did not think that was the reason for the curtness of his response.

"That's right." keeping her tone light she moved to brush away the rebellious lock of hair that had fallen over his eyes again, only to pause in astonishment when he flinched away from her touch.

"Don't."

"All right, if you'd rather I not, but..."

"You _lied_."

The accusation hung for a moment as Caggallie felt her heart try to scramble out through her throat, her voice a mere croak as she responded, "What?" He could not have been aware, surely? He had been sleeping. _Sleeping_.

"Kira would be here," there was such certainty in his voice she was sure he had truly been awake when she discussed the matter with Nichol, though his next words proved that belief null, "He would be here no matter what, unless...unless he hates me or..." he paused, closing his eyes and drawing a deep breath, "Or unless I failed. Please," the firmness was gone now, replaced by a tremulous pleading that tugged at her heartstrings, "Don't lie to me. Is he...?"

"He's not dead," well, lying was out of the question now, so she figured she might as well tell the truth, rather than leaving him in limbo, "At least, we don't think so."

"You don't think so?"

"There was another battle after...Well, you know what I mean. ZAFT came at us with everything, and Orb was beaten back. We lost the Freedom, but after reviewing the battle data Nichol is pretty certain it wasn't actually destroyed. We believe he may be a prisoner of war, though we have yet to receive confirmation."

"Then it was all for nothing anyway," his tone had adopted a defeated air now, and he did not reopen his eyes, "What I did...It didn't make a difference."

"What are you talking about?" Taken aback, Caggallie's rebuttal was perhaps a little firmer than necessary, but she did not bother trying to change it, "If it weren't for you, Kira would have been dead and..."

"And how long do you think he'll stay alive in the hands of ZAFT?" The words were harsh, and the hard look in the emerald eyes even worse, "How long do you think they'll keep an enemy soldier alive before they execute him, huh? Do you have any idea how much trouble the Strike caused us, not to mention the Freedom? Kira could be executed without a trial simply for being in that thing! It was stolen from the PLANTs by the Clyne Faction!"

Caggallie gasped, realizing at once exactly how true his words were, but trying to deny them nevertheless, "That's not possible!" she protested inanely, "There will be a trial, we'll get him out! We can!"

"Even if there _is_ a trial, the end result will still be the same," he had turned away from her now to glare at the wall, "I might as well have done nothing at all."

"That's _not_ true," she snapped back fiercely, earning a somewhat wide eyed glance from her target audience, which she ignored, continuing vehemently, "What you did back there was the bravest, most noble, _idiotic _act of selflessness I have _ever_ seen. You were willing to _die_ out there to protect somebody who was, essentially, your _enemy_. Kira lived another day thanks to your actions, but don't you realize how much more there was to it than that? You told me on the island you were nothing but a weapon, that you followed orders without thinking, and that that was what had led to what happened, but when you stepped into that battle, when _you_ made that decision, it was _your _decision alone. Not the army's, not the Chairman's, but yours. Even if Kira...Even if things don't turn out the way I'd like now, you still made that decision."

"And why is that so important? I can't see what a great lot a good it has done."

"It means they can no longer control you," Caggallie huffed, certain this person was the most unwilling to be helped individual she had ever met, besides herself, perhaps, "Don't you see that? The strings are broken, the leash cut! They can't make you fight in a cause you don't believe in, not anymore, because you already chose your cause."

"I did?" he was looking at her in a bewildered manner now, and she was quite certain she had lost him, "And what would that be?"

"That's easy," she leant closer, uttering the last words in little more than a whisper, "To defend hope."


	31. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: Doubts**

"Mind if I sit here?"

Murrue started, eyes flickering open, to meet the politely inquisitive gaze of her Lieutenant. That alone was enough to startle her into suspicion, because he was never that polite, and it was with a fair tinge of trepidation that she nodded, allowing him to perch on the arm of the captain's chair, watching the deep waters visible through the hull's glass.

"You were speaking with Na...Sarah again?" he clearly wasn't going to begin the conversation on his own, so she tried a little prompting, earning a somewhat frustrated head shake.

"I really don't know what to make of her," he admitted at last, "Do you suppose she has any loyalties whatsoever? She was ready to blurt the whole bloody story to us the moment she was locked in the brig!"

"Who wouldn't? It is not like the Earth Alliance ever showed us the slightest trace of loyalty."

Murrue found herself sighing as she reclosed her eyes, leaning back against the support the chair offered. She was tired, they all were, and now they had started a fight none of them were sure they could win. Was it even possible to fight back against someone as powerful as the Chairman had become? Did they even stand a chance? From the moment they had made that fateful decision to dock at Heliopolis, the Archangel had been engaged in one battle after another, with little time in between. One by one they had had their beliefs and loyalties spun around and turned on their heads, until they had found themselves fighting for another nation, and yet against the same enemy. And not just Orb, either, they had been fighting alongside a separate faction of the PLANTs, trapped, as Orb was, between two sides radically opposed to the existence of the other. It seemed unlikely they could ever have stood a chance propped between two such immovable forces, and yet they had survived.

The _had_ survived, but that was all.

They were broken now, disarmed, defeated, and driven into hiding. They had been given one, final chance to protect their world, and they had failed dismally. The Earth was conquered now, perhaps it's fate inevitable, because they had not been strong enough. Because they had not seen far enough. She had been a soldier for so long, serving the force she had sworn to loyally, and yet that, too, had turned on her, and now the new cause she had found had failed as well. What was the Representative planning to do now? The Clynes? They did not have the strength to fight back, that was an irreversible fact, so how were they supposed to move forward from here?

"Sometimes it makes you wonder why you chose to fight at all, huh?" Mu's voice was self derogatory, and opening her eyes she watched as he folded his arms, gazing down at her pensively, "I mean, right now, it all seems so pointless. Hell! We aren't even on the side we chose to fight for anymore! Does that make us deserters?"

"That depends," she considered the question thoughtfully, trying to find a way to voice her thoughts, "We chose to fight for what we believed in, but if the Earth Forces strayed from that path, was it wrong of us to seek it in another place? From a military point of view, I suppose we would be named deserters, but truly, we had no choice. They drove us away, they gave us no other choice, what else were we supposed to do?"

"You have a point there," the blond man conceded, expression unusually sober, "But I think your right about the other as well."

"The other?" Murrue started, not even quite sure of what she had said, as only half of it had been meant for his ears. She had been more speaking her thoughts aloud than actually responding.

"Yes," he nodded firmly, a hint of a grin dancing across his face, "People fight for what they believe in, and if you're strong, you'll stick by those beliefs no matter what."

"Do you suppose that makes us strong?" Murrue frowned, puzzling it out, but the answer she got was far from what she expected.

"Dunno," the Lieutenant replied simply, "After all, it is awfully easy to believe in you."

* * *

"Do you suppose Kira's all right?" Mirriallia shifted slightly in her position, but did not remove her head from where it lay against Tolle shoulder, her arms wrapped as securely about him as his were about her, both of them lying on a single bunk, and neither feeling inclined to move.

Everything had been so terrifyingly quiet since the last battle for Orb had ended in defeat, it was as though the entire world around them had ground to a stop, and, though the hush was somewhat pleasant after the constant action, it also left room for thought, and the most predominant thought on everyone's mind now was; where do we go from here?

"I hope so," Tolle answered quietly, tightening his grip ever so tightly, "But...I can't say for sure."

"That seems true of almost everything these days," Mirriallia closed her eyes to hold back the tears lurking there, her voice growing lower as she continued, "Tolle...are you scared?"

"Do you want me to lie, or tell the honest truth?" he sounded amused, but after a moment he seemed to realize she was serious, and with a sigh he answered, "I think we all are, Mir, I mean, who wouldn't be? The whole world's been turned upside down in a matter of weeks, and now our own future isn't even a sure thing. We could all of us die tomorrow, or the day after that, or in a week, or a month. That's what war is, I guess, not knowing, being uncertain. So, yeah, I'm scared, I just don't want to let that fear get the best of me."

"I'm terrified," she admitted, feeling somewhat ashamed of the revelation, "I'm terrified that I'll have to sit at those controls and listen to those pilots die one by one, that'll it will be Kira all over again, and that, in the end, none of it will have even made a difference!"

"It doesn't matter if it makes a difference, Mir," she started, glancing up at him in surprise, unshed tears still pooling in her eyes, "It doesn't matter," he repeated, his voice firm, and his dark eyes strong with his own conviction, "What matters is that we tried to make a difference, that we did everything that was within our power to save the world, no matter how lofty that sounds. And if, in the end, we still haven't done a thing, at least we know we tried, that we didn't sit back and let our fear hold us there. Because," he added sagely, "In the end, the only thing we can do is try."

* * *

"Do you suppose we're wrong?"

The question, stated so abruptly, took the calm bodyguard by surprise, and Kisaki turned to the young Coordinator who had occupied the observation deck long before he sought it's peaceful confines, not quite able to mask that astonishment as he replied.

"In what way?"

"Well," Nichol paused, fingers splayed against the glass, and eyes seemingly glued on the horizon, figuratively speaking, for Kisaki did not believe it was possible for there to be a horizon beneath the water,

"For all intents and purposes, the war is over, the battle is won, and the bloodshed should have ceased. By continuing this fight, no matter how small we are, we are dragging it out further. We are fighting because we hold beliefs different to that of ZAFT, but, does that make us wrong? Selfish, even? The world is at peace, are we right to disturb that?"

"I wouldn't have called it peace," this wasn't the task Kisaki had envisaged himself fulfilling, his role was normally to hold back, to guide, and to protect the hot headed Attha child, but this boy could hardly be considered hot headed. Overly gentle for the role he played, perhaps, but not hot headed. No, Nichol Amalfi was a believer, someone who needed a belief before taking a weapon to fight for it, and in accordance with his nature, he had to consider whether that belief was now worth continuing the fight, or whether he was merely becoming someone unsatisfied simply because they had not had what they wanted. "More like dominance."

"Is there a difference?" turning around slowly the young pilot placed his back against the glass, his face utterly pensive as he met Kisaki's gaze, "A lot of wars have been won only because one side gained dominion over the other. It's how so many conflicts have been resolved, and yet a lot of bloodshed often follows when resistance is mounted, and more often than not it seems that resistance fails. Are we merely making the same mistake, do you suppose?"

"I doubt we could ever know the answer to that, at least, not until after the fact," he replied with honesty, "Few people can actually see the mistake until they have made it, and then all they can do is correct it."

"If we fail, we won't be correcting anything."

"That is true," he nodded, unable to deny the fact, "But should we let that stop us?"

"I'm not afraid to die,well," he paused, amending the statement, "I'm not any more afraid than I think is natural. What worries me is that if we fail, we will have shed all this blood for nothing, simply because we were not satisfied with the way the world had turned out."

"Well, then, let me tell you my interpretation of peace, and we shall see where we get from there," he paused, gathering thoughts that were rarely voiced, because, for the most part, Caggallie knew when and where to fight for her beliefs, "A world of peace is when, even if the countries are not entirely at ease with each other, the citizens have the means and the safety necessary to build themselves a secure lifestyle. A place where people can live without fear of slavery, of war tearing their world apart in a matter of seconds, and in the security the life they build will remain stable. Do you think that is the world ZAFT has built through this conquest? I, for one, do not. There is no stability here, and the citizens of many countries are little more than prisoners. This is no free world of peace that we are disrupting, it is an unjust tyrant's world, and one we have little choice but to liberate, if we ever want to see what true peace looks like."

"I guess," Nichol shrugged, half turning back to the glass, "Still, we may not even be able to fight back."

"And not being able to," Kisaki answered solemnly, "Just goes to prove that the world is, indeed, in dire straits."


	32. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: Understanding**

"Miss Attha told me you were awake...How are you feeling?"

Once upon a time, he could have said he knew that voice, knew the person behind it, Lacus Clyne, the enigma, the ideal that she represented, and once, likewise, he could have said he knew the man whose flesh and blood he was, though neither was true now. As he twisted in his raised position, propped up by however many pillows the blond twin of his best friend, another person he no longer knew, had felt necessary to fetch, to face the speaker of the kind words, he found himself irrationally surprised to note the face was still the same, because somewhere, buried at the back of his mind, was the belief that his person was not Lacus Clyne, not the Lacus he knew, at any rate.

"I'm fine."

"Is that not what you always tell me?" Smiling she moved over to seat herself in the position Caggallie had occupied only a few hours before, settling herself down, before reaching out to lay a hand lightly on his bandaged forehead, "But I speak not of physical wounds, Athrun, for we both know they are not the most dangerous, or the most hurtful. Now, shall I ask again? How are you feeling?"

"I...don't really know." he couldn't look her in the eye, not when he had shouted at her unjustly, turned his back on her without even so much as offering to listen. She had seen what was right, and she had done it, and he...he had been so blinded by his own needs that he had not been able to see clearly at all, and then he had blamed her. His actions were unforgivable, and he did not expect her to offer forgiveness at all. The silence was weighted, but after a long moment she sighed, moving her hand further down his face so that she could turn his head back towards her, even if he refused to look.

"The reason this war has become so terrible," she spoke softly, "Is because people have lost the ability to speak, and equally, the ability to listen. What happened between us was the fault of us both, Athrun, because neither of us would tell the other of our true feelings. I could not understand you, nor you me, because we could not share, we could not talk, and that is what lies at the root of this war, that same inability. I do not want to let it tear us apart as it has the war, not if we can still be friends."

He did not comment on her choice of words. 'Friends', it was more than he could have hoped for, from her or Kira, heck, from Nichol as well. But still, it wasn't that he was disappointed exactly, it just felt...odd, to hear it spoken of that way, to have it presented as a choice. To become engaged had not been his own decision, and to become her friend, her companion, had never really been a choice either. This time, however, the choice was his.

He could only wonder why that concept frightened him so much.

"Athrun?"

He did not realize he had shivered slightly until after Lacus' soft inquiry, though he instantly tried to brush it off, "I..I'm all right. Just..."

"Just?" she prompted, an amused smile lingering just beneath the depths of her expression, and it was that, more than anything, that prompted him to speak, the words flowing so swiftly he was hardly aware of what he was saying.

"How can you just act like nothing has happened, Lacus? How can you ignore the fact that I very nearly ended up killing you and Kira through fighting against you? It's not like it was a trivial argument, I could have killed you, both of you! And you're still smiling. How can you smile in a time like this? I don't..."

"Understand?" she finished for him softly, withdrawing her hand so as to fold it with her other in her lap, "Let my explain for you, then. I'm not angry at you for trying to hurt us, Athrun, it was what you had been trained to do, what you had been ordered to do, and, in reality, there was really little else that could happen once I had left. From that moment in Heliopolis when Kira told me you had taken part in the attack, I knew that what I had feared was coming true, that the Chairman was forgetting the principles that were supposed to govern the forces, and that he was turning his soldiers into living weapons. Maybe it's not intentional, I can't say either way, but I knew it to be the truth, and because of that, I could no longer trust his words. When I came back the PLANTs, I didn't tell you what I suspected, because I knew of his hold over you, and I was afraid that anything I said that perhaps sounded like treachery would reach his ears. That was my mistake, I should have known you better."

She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts, and he watched in silence, never taking his eyes off her face, where the expressions displayed in her words for once showed on her face, because the happy, naïve mask of a person was gone, and this was the true Lacus showing through.

"I never meant to hurt you when I left, you weren't supposed to be at Amigos, and I certainly didn't mean to abandon you. I thought I could convince you of the wrong that was corrupting ZAFT, but I should have known that what seemed right and easy to someone without the military could be differently interpreted by someone within it. You asked me if you meant so little to you, and that wasn't true, you have been a good and loyal friend, but in the balance of choosing what was right, somewhere along the lines I had to sacrifice that friendship to do it. I never meant to leave you without an anchor, and for that I am truly sorry. It is also for that reason that I cannot condemn you, because, even in a small way, it was my actions that led you down that road."

"Lacus..." he could find no words to say in the face of such an honest admission, but she seemed to sense this, merely smiling, a genuine expression, and not just the mask of peace and contentment he began to realize she had been wearing all along in the PLANTs.

"Now then," she stated briskly, "What about you? Are you willing to meet me halfway this time, Athrun? I have not asked too much again?"

"You never asked too much, Lacus," he could no longer meet her gaze, and turned away, his hands, finally responding to his signals, pulling idly at loose threads in the blanket, "I just wasn't willing to give anything...But now...Where do you want me to...?"

"Heliopolis," she spoke in a hushed, respectful tone when she mentioned that city, and he did not have to ask why, "Start with Heliopolis."

"My father ordered the assault on Heliopolis the day of the memorial," her soft gasp told that she knew of what he was speaking without elucidation, so he continued without offering it, "I was...surprised, to say the least, that, first, we should attack the Earth during a time of peace talks, and secondly that it would be against a neutral nation. I tried to reason with him, I did, but he...I couldn't go against him, he was my father, and the Chairman, and so I...I dropped my argument, I let him assign me the mission. I asked you about your schedule because I was worried you might be caught in the crossfire, I didn't want you involved, you were supposed to stay safe, and yet, despite all my efforts, you still ended up in there. After I bumped into Kira, and he told me that you had still been there, I was afraid I was responsible, because I was the one who had dropped my arguments, even though I knew that, no matter the justification, somehow, this was still wrong. Then the Strike showed up on the battlefield, and Rusty and Miguel...they both fell. I suspected Kira was flying the thing right from the start, but I tried lying to myself, because I couldn't handle that, and thinking you might be dead because of me as well."

"And that was when Le Creuset arrived, correct?"

"That's right," he was surprised Lacus had the details down so pat, until he realized she could have learned them from Nichol with ease, "We had orders to pursue the Strike and retrieve it if possible, but out efforts were in vain, and eventually we were recalled to the PLANTs in order to prepare for another missions. That was when the news that you were alive reached us. I was..relieved, and I made sure I was there in time to meet you. You surprised me, talking to my father like that, and he surprised me as well. You were both acting so strangely it only confused me all the more. In the car, when you asked me if I had led the assault, I was sure you were going to be angry with me, I was prepared for it, even, and yet you didn't say a thing. Why was that?"

"Because I knew, even then, that you were not the one truly responsible." Or, if he read between the lines, she had seen that he was held beneath a grip he was oblivious too. No wonder she had not trusted him.

"In any case, I knew I was about to be sent out onto the battlefield again, and for me it was imperative that you should know how I felt before we were separated. After coming so close to losing you, I didn't want the words to go unspoken, and I did really mean what I said. Your friendship was important to me Lacus, but everything changed right after that, after the attack on Artemis, because that was when I confronted Kira again. He tried to reason with me, to explain that what was happening was the fault of ZAFT, but I wouldn't listen, and in the end we parted as enemies. We were recalled because of your disappearance, and when I saw in Amigos..."

"Please, don't stop." her voice was softly pleading, not demanding, and with an effort he swallowed his misgivings and continued as calmly as his rampant emotions would allow. What would she think of him now, knowing the entire truth? But, inwardly, he knew that did not matter, because she needed to know it.

"I was angry that you had lied to me, because I honestly thought you were the one person who would tell me everything. Somewhere, in the back of mind, though I wanted to deny it, I still knew that my father was not telling me the whole truth, that no one was. When I discovered that you, too, were just something else that had been false, I was...lost, and so I lashed out at you, because I didn't know what else to do. But, it was only when you called my father a killer that I truly refused to listen, because I couldn't accept that. I joined the army to protect what was left of my family, to help prevent a war. After so many years had passed, I thought we succeeded, and yet, when the fighting broke out last year, it was so sudden and... And I thought I knew him, Lacus, I didn't want to believe the distance could have become so great, and I couldn't, or wouldn't, turn my back on him. When I thought you had left me, it was all I had left to cling to, and so I did.

And that was what had me fighting Kira to the bitter end.

I even used mother as an excuse, but the truth was I was angry and lost and the Commander had offered me a scapegoat. You were traitors, it was your fault, and I was so blinded I couldn't see beyond that until it was too late. It wasn't until afterwards, when I thought Kira was dead, that I was finally able to see exactly what it was I was doing, I believed then I had become nothing but a weapon, and that you had been right, only, you should have included me in your assessment of murderers. When Caggallie came, I almost wanted her to try to kill me, because I thought that perhaps letting her do so would somehow erase my guilt in the whole affair. Unfortunately, she appears to be just as hard headed as Kira, and she tried to make me see otherwise.

My team came for me after that battle, after Nichol deserted, and it was then I began to search in earnest for an answer to the reason I was doing this. I knew there had been a reason to begin with, something that had become buried as I tried to protect what I had left. So I went back to the start, to where my mother...In any case, it gave me no answers, I had a reason, but still no way of fulfilling it. My father I didn't know anymore, and how was I supposed to protect a stranger? I was confused and lost all over again, and it was Yzak, of all people, who reminded me that in shooting the Strike down I had been fulfilling my duty as a ZAFT soldier. It was then I finally realized that was the part I had been playing all along, the part of a soldier. I wasn't Patrick Zala's son, I was the warrior tossed into the arena whenever was convenient to fight battles for him, and when my father started lying about you...I knew then for certain that I was walking the wrong path, but the problem still remained that I didn't have a right one to replace it. When we fought for Heliopolis again, I couldn't bring myself to harm your allies, and when I realized who was piloting the Freedom, well, that changed everything.

I couldn't stand the thought of Kira dying, not when he was alive after the first time, and that was why I did what I did. It was an attempt to rectify a mistake, and yet, it still didn't quite yield a result, did it? Kira's gone now, and my father...I should have tried harder to stop him, when I knew what he was doing was wrong. Maybe, if I hadn't been trying to pretend that nothing had changed, I could have prevented Heliopolis to begin with, prevented any of this from starting. But I did nothing, and all because I was too damn scared."

His last words were laced with bitterness, but he could not help it, it was honestly how he felt. He had allowed his father to control him, when he should have been the one to know better. He was supposed to protect what he had left, dammit, not watch it all crumble away into dust!

"One day," Lacus remarked softly, "You will realize that the responsibility for every tragedy in the world does not lie upon your shoulders," she had surprised him yet again, and he jerked around to stare at her so swiftly that his head spun, "When that happens, I hope I am there to see it, because it will be difficult to find a brighter beacon."

"Lacus!" his call forestalled her departure, and hesitating with her hand on the door panel she turned back, face mildly inquisitive. Athrun took a deep breath before proceeding, not entirely due to her last words, but because the subject he was about to encroach on was far from simple, "Kira...Caggallie said you..."

"I confess I may have fallen in love with Kira Yamato," Lacus lowered her eyes, the first time he had ever seen her look truly remorseful, "I am sorry, Athrun, but I can't change the way I feel."

"I don't expect you to," he was astonished at the firmness of his own voice, "I just wanted to tell you we'll get him back. I'll get him back. That, I promise you."

* * *

Caggallie waited until the door had completely closed in a rush of air before straightening from her leaning posture again the wall, deliberately lowering her voice as she addressed the pensive songstress.

"Sometimes, I don't know whether I want to hug 'im or hit 'im."

"Yes," to her complete astonishment the gentle young woman nodded, her face tinged with a slight embarrassed smile, "He truly is an unique individual, if only the Chairman could see the gift he has been given. Right now, however, I think he is too blinded by his need for revenge to see anything, and Athrun..Athrun has paid the price for that."

"It doesn't seem fair," Caggallie agreed, "It was Kira who had to pay the price for me, why doesn't fate punish the ones responsible?"

"Because no one person is solely and entirely responsible," Lacus sighed, before setting her lips in a determined line, and turning to meet Caggallie's gaze squarely, "Do you know if it is possible to broadcast on the international emergency line from down here?"

"It should be," Caggallie was taken aback by the request, but swiftly nodded, "Why?"

"Because I intend to make an address," Lacus answered firmly, turning to resume her walk back towards the Eternal, "I'm going to lay down the rules of this game, once and for all, and then, we will truly begin to play."


	33. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: Belief**

"What is happiness? What is contentment? What is peace? When is enough enough? And, when does it become too much? When does what we want become what others despise, and when do the desires and ambitions we house in our hearts become the same thing others want to cut down? Does the fact people oppose what we want mean what we want is wrong? Or does it make them wrong? Does wanting something better, something more, make a person evil, or is it how we pursue those desires that makes the difference? Is anybody truly evil at all, or is it merely a perception we use to distinguish them from us, to say they are different, we are right, and to allow them to label us in the same way?

The answers to these questions are elusive for anyone who seeks them, perhaps because there is no one answer, because there is no one way in which the answers can be found. Happiness, contentment, enough? They all depend on what it is we wish for, our dreams, our desires, and our ambitions. Peace? That comes when the human heart is open enough to listen, when we are willing to use conversation and diplomacy to achieve these goals, when we are willing to believe that the enemy is not evil, but merely see things from a different perspective. War, the very idea of war, represents a failure in humankind to listen, a lack we all possess, and now, now that it has come to this, we no longer even try.

To be truthful with ourselves, and to be truthful to others, we must accept at least a part of responsibility for this, did we not all make selfish choices once? Did we not once make a choice, knowing full well that someone else would be hurt in the process? Of course we all did, but that does not make us evil, merely flawed. No one is perfect, and yet, as we are all equally at fault, everyone of us is also different, and those differences are the cause of conflict. There can be no harmony without discord, no peace without fighting, these things are a natural part of human life, a natural part of living, and yet when you apply those principles to war, everything changes, and beliefs are turned on their heads.

So then, what should we believe when we are asked to raise our swords in battle? Does trying to cling to happiness and peace mean we should refuse to fight? Refuse to protect? Of course it doesn't, and just as it is a fact that harmony in normal life cannot exist without contention, there can be no peace without fighting in a war. The question arises then, as to when we draw the line. When is enough enough?

I cannot answer for anyone else, for what I speak is my belief and mine alone, but it is the reason I have found to stand up and be firm, the reason each and everyone of us needs before we make the decision to fight. Everyone who stepped onto the battlefield, who ever raised a weapon and held it in their hands, every single one of them had a reason to begin with, and so I share with you mind. For me, enough is enough when we cannot look at our brothers and sisters here on Earth, and see them as our peers. Enough is when they, in turn, cannot recognize their blood in us, cannot see us for human beings, what we surely are. Enough is when we come to the point when neither of us can accept the other's existence, when, because of this, we are trapped, unable to budge from the standstill in our lives. How can bloodshed ever cease without extermination if one truly believes the enemy is inherently evil? A plague on mankind? For those very reasons, I draw the line at the Chairman's words, at the point where he names Naturals something that should not exist, and the same goes for the other side, for the Earth Forces. I cannot condone them either, not when Coordinators are nothing but monsters to them.

Are we not all human beings? Were not Coordinators born from Naturals, would we not have never existed were it not for them? And Naturals, did they not mould us with their own hands, only to now cast us aside because what they have made was unfavorable? Both sides have made terrible, terrible mistakes. Intolerance, hatred, jealousy, at one point or another, we have all fallen victim to such emotions. But what makes us different, what colors the distinction between being human, and being nothing but a monster, is that we have the ability to recognize those mistakes, and learn from them. The only time when danger strikes, is when we believe we are beyond reprimand, that we are greater than our fellow man. Such belief can only lead us down a dark path, and from that path, in a time of war, at least, only sorrow can spring.

And every last one of these questions, every last conclusion I have made, leads me to the final question, the one we all must answer before we take another step, because it marks us all for whatever cause we are meant to stand for. What are we fighting for? Not what should, not what are they, but what are we, each and every individual, fighting for? It does not matter what our nation is fighting for, what our peers, our parents, our brothers and sisters are fighting for. It does not matter if the whole world is fighting against us, we need only to recognize what it is we, as individual people, with our own desires, our own wishes, believe in to truly understand ourselves, and with that understanding, we will find the answer to the questions we cannot satisfy. Because, after all, the greatest question we must ask ourselves, is _who we are_.

My name is Lacus Clyne, everyone, and I have come before you today to ask that question of each and every one of you, because in the end, your answers will decide the fate of our world."

**TBC**


End file.
